Seasonal allergic rhinitis, better known as pollen allergy, can bring symptoms such as an itchy nose and  eyes, sneezing, a blocked nose and watery discharge from the nose and eyes. Other symptoms are headaches, fatigue and a general malaise, and all of them can turn a game of football, a bike ride or a picnic into a real struggle.

"We see children who try to avoid symptoms by spending less time outside, often with the result that they become separated from playing with their friends. But many of these children suffer from their symptoms and become excluded unnecessarily during the pollen season for there are several ways to reduce the unpleasant effects of allergy through simple measures and treatment," says allergy expert at ALK Jørgen Nedergaard Larsen. 

Some children have mild symptoms that don't affect them significantly, but for others, pollen allergy is more severe with a huge impact on their everyday lives, and it is especially these children who need help to control their allergy.

Helping children with mild symptoms
You can help by washing your child’s face and hair after outdoor play since pollen can stick to these areas. Keep the windows closed especially in the morning and early evening when the pollens are released in the air. At times with high pollen counts, you should also avoid drying clothes outside. It is also a good idea to keep the car windows rolled up to avoid taking in lots of pollens when driving.
 
Children with moderate and severe symptoms
If your child has not received a diagnosis for pollen allergy yet, but is highly affected by allergic symptoms during the pollen season, it is recommended that you make an appointment with your child’s paediatrician for further test and diagnosis. The paediatrician will probably ask about the history of the symptoms and conduct a skin prick test that can show if your child suffer from pollen allergy.

During a skin prick test, the inside of the arm is typically pricked with a tiny amount of allergen. If your child is allergic, redness and swelling will appear locally within 20 minutes and disappear again after a few hours. The test is safe for infants and young children and it is an important step towards finding relief for the pollen allergy symptoms since it is possible to control the disease and get help through treatments available from the doctor.

Receiving the right treatment can mean a remarkable change to a child's life. But finding the right treatment is also very important in the long run since pollen allergy left untreated is considered to be one of the major risk factors in the development of asthma.  This can be explained by the ‘allergic march’ – a term that describes how allergic diseases progress throughout one’s life, and studies have shown that children who suffer from allergic rhinitis can go on to suffer from asthma. Approximately 20% of all hay fever patients develop asthma later in life.

Many treatment options for children
You will find that there are many options for treating your child’s hay fever, ranging from over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription symptomatic medicines, to more long-term treatments like allergy immunotherapy. The two overall ways of treatment have both shown to provide relief and put an end to the discomfort and the sensation of feeling ill, but there are some differences:

Symptomatic treatments work while taking the medicine, but have no long-term effect. They reduce the symptoms of allergy, but unlike allergy immunotherapy, they do not induce tolerance. Most symptomatic treatments are available over-the-counter (OTC), e.g. in supermarkets or pharmacies, and they can include treatments such as antihistamines, inhaled steroids and decongestants.

Allergy immunotherapy treatment has a long-term effect with sustained improvement, including in the years after completing the treatment. This is also the main difference between the effects of symptomatic and immunotherapy treatment since immunotherapy induces tolerance and alters the natural course of the disease.

The symptoms of pollen allergy also known as hay fever often appear from the eyes and nose. Your eyes may itch, water and become red. Your nose might get blocked, start to run and itch, and frequent sneezing is suddenly a normal part of your day. Other symptoms may include headaches, fatigue, insomnia and a general malaise.

Some people have mild symptoms that do not affect their everyday lives, but for others, the condition is more severe and consequently they may experience a reduced quality of life. For these people, it is time to strike back.

"Many people suffer unnecessarily during the pollen season, for there are several ways to reduce the impacts of allergy through simple measures and treatment," says allergy expert at ALK Jørgen Nedergaard Larsen.

Avoidance can help you some of the way
One way to fight pollen allergy is by trying to avoid or limit the exposure to pollen, and here, there are many situations where it is possible to implement small changes that can help reduce the contact with pollen significantly.

You can mow your lawn while it is wet with dew. Use a dryer to dry your laundry. Drive with closed windows and use a pollen filter in your car. Wear sunglasses when you go for a bike ride. Keep the windows closed while pollen counts are high. Stay inside as much as possible. Check pollen counts and make plans accordingly. Avoid furry animals which can carry pollen and wash your hair and change clothes when you get home after being out.

Diagnosis and treatment can control your hay fever
If you are not yet diagnosed with pollen allergy and your symptoms have a significant impact on your life, you should consult your doctor. The doctor will likely ask about the history of your symptoms and conduct a skin prick test that can show if you have hay fever. This is an important step in your fight against the pollen allergy symptoms because the allergy can be controlled and there are many treatments available from your doctor that can help you in doing that.

“We often see how the right treatment can make a huge difference in the patients’ quality of life, which calls for diagnosis and identification of prober treatment. Furthermore if allergic rhinitis is left untreated, it is considered a risk factor in the development of asthma,” says Jørgen Nedergaard Larsen.

You have different treatment options
There are several options for treating your hay fever, ranging from over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription symptomatic medicines, to more long-term treatments like allergy immunotherapy. Both symptomatic and immunotherapy treatments have shown to provide relief and end the discomfort and the sensation of feeling ill, but there are some differences between the treatments:

Symptomatic treatments reduce the allergy symptoms while taking the medicine, but there is no long-lasting effect because they do not induce tolerance like allergy immunotherapy. Most symptomatic treatments are available over-the-counter (OTC), e.g. in supermarkets or pharmacies, and can include treatments such as antihistamines, inhaled steroids and decongestants.

Allergy immunotherapy treatment has a long-term effect with sustained improvement, also during the years following treatment, because, unlike symptomatic treatments, it induces tolerance and alters the natural course of the disease.

A blocked and runny nose, itching and watering eyes and sneezing. Those are all pollen allergy symptoms that can make the sufferers feel really bad, but there is no need to be longing for fall and winter already because the good news is that almost everyone suffering from pollen allergy can be helped. The bad news, however, is that people often ignore their allergic symptoms and do not know enough about the condition to get the necessary help.

“Many people just try to live with their allergy symptoms and suffer from them quite substantially even though many things can be done about it. Top of the list is to understand the measures you can take to minimise your symptoms, getting a proper diagnosis via the doctor and then find the treatment that works best for you”, says allergy expert at ALK Jørgen Nedergaard Larsen.

Is it best to stay indoors?
Staying inside can make spring and summer a bit of a bore, but luckily, many of those who suffer from regular allergies can still enjoy the outdoors by reducing their exposure to pollen through these simple measures during spring and summer:

Wash your hair and change clothes when you get home after being out. Mow your lawn while it is wet from dew. Use a dryer and dry your laundry inside. Drive with closed windows and use a pollen filter in your car. Wear sunglasses when you go for a run or a bike ride. Keep the windows closed while pollen numbers are high. Check pollen numbers and make plans accordingly and avoid furry animals which can carry pollen.

Is pollen allergy not just something you should learn to live with?
Pollen allergy can be more than just a small inconvenience. If left untreated, the disease can significantly affect your quality of life and is considered a risk factor in the development of asthma. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, pollen allergy can cause poor sleep quality and daytime fatigue which can make it difficult for adults to think and function at work and hard for schoolchildren to perform well academically.

Is it necessary to see a doctor?
If you have not been diagnosed with pollen allergy yet and you have symptoms that significantly impact your life, it is advised that you consult your doctor. The doctor will probably ask about the history of your symptoms and conduct a skin prick test that can show if you have pollen allergy.

“Getting a diagnosis is very important if you want to reduce your pollen allergy symptoms and find relief instead of accepting feeling miserable. The main thing to remember is that this is a disease that can be controlled and there are many treatments available from your doctor that can help exactly in doing that”, says Jørgen Nedergaard Larsen.

Can’t I just use medication from the pharmacist?
Finding the right treatment for your allergy is important as it can make a significant difference in your quality of life, however, another equally important reason to act is the fact that untreated allergic rhinitis is considered a risk factor in the development of asthma. If your allergic symptoms have a large impact on your life, you likely need help from a doctor to identify the most suitable treatment for you.

The treatment options range from over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription symptomatic medicines, to more long-term treatments like allergy immunotherapy. The two overall ways of treatment have both shown to provide relief and put an end to the discomfort and the sensation of feeling ill, but there are some differences:

Symptomatic treatments work while taking the medicine, but have no long-term effect. They reduce the allergy symptoms, but unlike allergy immunotherapy, do not induce tolerance. Most symptomatic treatments are available over-the-counter (OTC), e.g. in supermarkets or pharmacies. Symptomatic treatments can include treatments such as antihistamines, inhaled steroids and decongestants.

Allergy immunotherapy treatment has a long-term effect with sustained improvement, including in the years following treatment. The main difference between symptomatic and immunotherapy treatment is that immunotherapy induces tolerance and alters the natural course of the disease.

ALK in the Netherlands have partnered with a local network, Liquid Nature, which specialises in putting bees up for adoption. Together with a neighbouring company, ALK is currently hosting two beehives.

Bees are critical to our ecosystem. In fact, they pollinate a third of all crops and 90 percent of wild plants. However, in recent years, the number of bees has been declining due to many different factors such as climate change, loss of habitat, intensive farming methods and colony collapse disorder.

Simple solutions to the crisis, such as making better use of our outside spaces where possible helps bees sustain their numbers and can make a lasting impact for both people and planet.

A sustainable company at its core

The network is led by a beekeeper, Jessica Loudon, and its mission is to help save the bees by making better use of outside spaces, especially in those areas where bees have the right conditions to thrive.

Jessica Loudon comes by the office in Almere once a week during the season to check on the hives and add additional breeding or honey surplus rooms as the bee population grows. The idea behind the network is simple; the companies offer their outside space for the bees; Liquid Nature tends to the hives; the bees provide value to the area and the companies get the surplus honey.

Although the bees usually hunt for nectar in wide areas far away from the hive, our colleagues have updated the procedure on how to act in case someone reacts to a sting as an additional precaution.

"The purpose of inviting everybody to help identify a new strategic direction for the company was to send a signal that we are in the same boat. I wanted people to understand: nobody is coming to save us. We either float – or drown together."

The theme of the conference was Leading with Purpose and among the speakers were Bill Clinton, former US president, Cees't Hart, CEO at the Danish brewery Carlsberg, and Costas Markides, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, London Business School.

"History is full of examples of companies who had the eyes fixated on the speedometer or the oil pressure - but no clue about where they were going", Carsten Hellmann said.

"By looking at allergy as a consumer play and not just a therapy field – as we have been doing for 100 years – we have started to lift our heads and look up. Our goal has become to help as many people with allergy as possible." 

The big why
Also in Merial, the animal health company lead by Carsten Hellmann before he took office in ALK, processes were disrupted to get teams to think openly about what should be done to regain success as a company. The big question everyone was invited to give input to was: How can we as a company help solve some of the world’s most important problems?

"For example: How can we help the 1 billion people in Asia, moving to cities, eating meat and processed food? And: How can we help prevent a production loss of 20 percent in meat production due to animals getting sick?"

"It is not enough to say you want to increase your growth with 5 or 10 percent. People need to be part of something relevant and inspiring."

Not an experiment
After his speech, Carsten Hellmann was asked how he measures success when at the same time he boasts skipping KPIs, power points and long meetings?

"I look at sales figures, profits, net working capital etc. It is not an experiment. Of course, we need a company fit to survive. What I am talking about is how to develop a business that has a future. How we move on."

That sounds easier said than done?
"It is all about looking up from our excel sheets and start concentrating on people. Everybody wants to make a difference, everybody wants to be part of something bigger. So it is really about finding out: What is our common goal? Are we doing the right thing to get there? Are we moving fast enough? Or are we moving too fast?"

ALK has announced a partnership with China’s Rellergen Biotech Inc., which grants ALK exclusive promotional rights to market Rellergen’s Bio-IC microfluidic allergen diagnosis technology to more than 190 hospitals across China.

Bio-IC microfluidic allergen diagnosis technology is also referred to as a ‘laboratory on a chip’ because it offers fast, convenient and inexpensive diagnosis of specific allergen sensitivities using a blood sample in a disposable cartridge which allows screening against up to 20 different allergens at a time, including food allergies. The Bio-IC system also includes compact screening and analysis apparatus, allowing patients a swift diagnosis of their allergen sensitivities.

Jacob Glenting, Vice President, International Markets, says: “The Bio-IC technology represents an important advance in a market where allergy diagnosis is a DKK 300 million a year business. It also allows ALK to broaden its product offering for allergists, while signaling our ability to identify key products and technologies that advance our strategy of expanding into adjacent business areas.”

ALK has been present in China since 2007 and is the market’s second largest allergy immunotherapy (AIT) company. The market potential in China is considerable given the large number of house dust mite (HDM) allergy sufferers, but access to AIT is currently restricted due to a lack of allergy diagnosis and treatment infrastructure.

Andrew Hui, General Manager, China, says: "This partnership opens new and complementary opportunities for ALK beyond China’s DKK 400 million AIT market. Bio-IC technology offers a major improvement in the allergy diagnosis process for patients in China because existing diagnostic methods either lack accuracy, are prohibitively expensive, or are unsuitable for use in typical clinics, meaning that test samples have to be sent away for screening – a process that can take weeks and drawing revenue away from the allergy clinics themselves."

The technology was originally developed by Taiwan-based Agnitio Biotech Inc., and is being com-mercialised in China by its sister company Rellergen, which is in the process of setting up a local manufacturing facility. Bio-IC was approved as an in vitro device by authorities in China in 2015. Expanding the partnership into other markets is currently being discussed.