Health Times reporter Qiu Yue
For nearly a week, Cui Ying (not her real name), who lives in Beijing, has been taking time off from home to work, initially thinking she had a cold, only to find out later that it may not be so simple.
"I started by sneezing, my nose was so stuck out of breath that I didn't get better after taking cold medicine. In the past two days, in addition to sneezing and nasal congestion, my eyes and nose have begun to faintly itch, and there are many small rashes on my face, and I realized that it may be an allergy. Cui Ying said.
According to the pollen monitoring data of the meteorological department, since March 12, the pollen concentration monitoring results in Beijing have exceeded 800 grains per thousand square millimeters for many times; the pollen concentration in most parts of the urban area from the 15th to the 16th is still at a very high level, and it is expected to peak in late March.
According to Wang Wen, chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, generally spring march-April and autumn August-September are the pollen active season, this time is also the high incidence of pollen allergy season, the main symptoms are itchy eyes, itchy nose, runny nose, sneezing, cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, dermatitis, urticaria, etc., according to different allergy symptoms, this time respiratory, entolaryngology, dermatology and emergency departments may have pollen allergy patients.
"For people with pollen allergies, the main prevention method is to reduce exposure to pollen, and the main allergy principle in March is the tidbits of poplar and willow trees." Wang Wen introduced that after the sun comes out for 2-3 hours every day, it is the period with the highest pollen concentration, that is, 11:00-14:00 every day, try to avoid outdoor activities during this period, and after 16:00 in the afternoon, the peak pollen period will gradually pass, which is suitable for everyone to carry out outdoor activities.
In addition, when you go out, you can also wear masks and glasses with pollen protection, and try to wear long-sleeved pants as much as possible to avoid contact between the body and pollen, and wash your hands and face as soon as possible after returning home. Patients with allergic rhinitis can also use saline to flush both nasal passages to reduce the contact of allergens with the nasal cavity.
Wang Wen also pointed out that allergic diseases are currently the sixth largest chronic disease in the world, the population that will have allergy symptoms is very large, the vast majority of people will disappear after the allergy season has passed, but for those who have an allergic constitution and patients with certain underlying diseases such as asthma, pollen allergies may cause more serious allergic reactions such as asthma, and even endanger life.
In terms of treatment, Wang Wen said that under the guidance of a doctor, people with general allergies can take some anti-allergic drugs, generally the symptoms will be alleviated in about a week, if there are more serious symptoms such as asthma and breathing difficulties, they must seek medical treatment as soon as possible to avoid worsening of the condition.
Finally, Wang Wen also reminded, "There are many allergens in nature, and people who did not have pollen allergies in the past cannot be taken lightly, and during the pollen active period, it is still necessary to take protective measures in advance and try to avoid allergies." ”
