Saltwort Allergen Facts, Symptoms, and Treatment
Learn more about common allergic diseases, symptoms, management paradigms, and testing considerations.
Is your patient a candidate for specific IgE testing?
Get detailed information on whole allergens and allergen components.
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Learn more about common allergic diseases, symptoms, management paradigms, and testing considerations.
Is your patient a candidate for specific IgE testing?
Get detailed information on whole allergens and allergen components.
Ready to test a patient?
Access videos and webinars delivered by key experts in the field of allergy.
Also known by various terms such as common saltwort, prickly Russian thistle, tumbleweed, prickly saltwort, and Russian thistle, saltwort is a low herb standing 5 to 50 centimeters (approximately 2 to 20 inches) tall.1 While common throughout the most arid and semiarid regions of the world, including regions of Canada and the United States, saltwort originated in Europe and Asia. Once the plant's seeds mature, the plant stem breaks off from the root to become a tumbleweed.2 The annual plant pollinates via wind in the summer and fall and has a severe level of allergenicity.2,3
Commonly found on the coasts of Europe, North Africa, Asia, North America, and Australia, saltwort originated in Europe and Asia and has become common throughout most arid and semiarid regions of the world. It's most common in waste places, beaches, sandy shores, disturbed grassland, cultivated fields, and deserts.2 Saltwort (aka Russian thistle) is abundant in Middle Eastern countries, where it was previously used in greening programs and where it is a major sensitizer for asthma and rhinitis.5
Many patients with saltwort allergy can experience symptoms when exposed to other allergens such as tree, weed, or grass pollens, making it difficult to determine which pollen is causing the symptoms, especially when pollen seasons are overlapping. This is called cross-reactivity and occurs when your body's immune system identifies the proteins, or components, in different substances as being structurally similar or biologically related, thus triggering a response.6 Other respiratory allergens that may cause reactions associated with saltwort are certain grasses, trees, and weeds, such as birch, alder, juniper, ragweed, olive, goosefoot, and pigweed.6
Knowing the proteins, or components, within each allergen that are triggering your symptoms can help guide your management plan. With that in mind, and based on your symptom history, your healthcare provider may suggest something called a specific IgE component test, which can help reveal other pollens and foods you may react to. Results from this test can also help your healthcare provider decide if allergen immunotherapy may reduce your symptoms.6
Already have your specific IgE component test results?
Your component test results will include the name of the components (a series of letters and numbers). Your healthcare provider will likely review the results with you, but here you'll find an at-a-glance breakdown you can use as a reference. Simply match the component names to the list below to see what they mean in terms of symptom management.6
nSal k 1
rPhl p 7
rPhl p 12
MUXF3 (CCD)
Test results should be interpreted by your healthcare provider in the context of your clinical history. Final diagnosis and decision on further management is made by your healthcare provider.
*These products may not be approved for clinical use in your country. Please work with your healthcare provider to understand availability.
The management of allergic rhinitis includes avoidance of relevant allergens, symptomatic treatment, and allergen immunotherapy.7-9
Saltwort allergy symptoms can be similar to many other pollen allergies and may include:4,7
If you're sensitized to saltwort and have asthma, the weed pollen may trigger or worsen asthma symptoms, such as coughing and wheezing.4,7
Together with your symptom history, skin-prick testing or specific IgE blood testing can help determine if you are sensitized to a particular allergen. If you are diagnosed with an allergy, your healthcare provider will work with you to create a management plan.
*These products may not be approved for clinical use in your country. Please work with your healthcare provider to understand availability.
With a severe level of allergenicity, saltwort pollinates via wind in the summer and fall.2,3