丨The author of this article: Xie Jingwen, former pediatrician of the 900th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the People's Liberation Army Chinese People's Liberation Army
Damn, spring has arrived!
When everyone admires the spring blossoms and the grass grows and the warblers fly, there is always a group of friends who pay attention to the pollen index every day and carefully wear N95 masks to go out.
Often a little attention, as soon as the wind blows, the eyes and nose become red and itchy, and even the nose and tears flow... This is called "pollen allergy".
I have a friend who even left Beijing for this and hid in Lijiang.
She found that staying in Lijiang, where flowers are everywhere, she is not allergic; Looking back on her years in Beijing, allergies seriously affected her work efficiency and quality of life, especially in the spring and autumn seasons.
It is not flowers that make you allergic, but trees
In fact, from the perspective of the transmission form of pollen, it is mainly divided into wind-borne flowers and insect-borne flowers.
The most allergenic pollen that causes allergy symptoms is the wind-borne flower, which is usually released from trees (such as Beijing's multi-street trees), pastures and weeds. Their flowers are inconspicuous and open in small clusters of flowers (see figure below).
Moreover, the pollen of such plants is often very light and tiny, which can be suspended in the air after being released, and it is easy to use the wind to be blown everywhere over long distances, and may even "cross the ocean to see you".
On the contrary, it is a brightly colored and fragrant ornamental flower that we can see everywhere in our daily life, which are mostly insect-borne flowers that attract insects with their color and fragrance.
Their pollination relies on insects to carry pollen from one flower to another, usually producing much less pollen than wind-pollinating plants, releasing relatively little pollen into the air, and insect-borne flowers are less likely to cause allergic reactions.
Why are more and more people getting hay fever?
The global incidence of pollen allergy is increasing, and the reasons for this increase are not fully understood, most likely due to a combination of factors.
Climate change is an important factor, because the global climate warms, the temperature rises, the pollen allergy season will start earlier and last longer, so that pollen-producing trees and weeds bloom earlier, and the extension of the growing season of flowers and trees also increases the level of allergens in the air, resulting in an increase in the number of people suffering from hay fever.
What are the common symptoms of pollen allergy?
Allergies occur when the body's immune system considers a substance harmful and overreacts to it. Although pollen allergy is not usually life-threatening, it can seriously affect quality of life.
People who are allergic to pollen may experience a variety of different symptoms, the most common of which are 4:
Type 1: allergic conjunctivitis
Mild symptoms are only manifested as itchy eyes, tears, conjunctival hyperemia, like frequent blinking, eyelid edema is also common (often bilateral, but may also be unilateral), severe tears, itchy eyes unbearable (friends hiding in Lijiang said, even want to pick out the eyeballs in the water and then put them back).
Type 2: allergic rhinitis
Manifested as nasal itching, nasal discharge, nasal congestion, paroxysmal sneezing, itching of the nasal cavity and palate, nasal discharge with obvious symptoms flowing like tap water, and the nose will be completely blocked at night, resulting in poor breathing, and can only breathe through the mouth. This can lead to feeling tired or having trouble concentrating during the day.
Note: People with both of the above symptoms are often referred to as allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.
Type 3: allergic asthma
Sudden wheezing, paroxysmal cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, breath holding, affecting daily exercise and night sleep.
Type 4: Pollen-related allergic reactions, oral allergy syndrome (OAS)
The most common symptoms are itching or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue and throat, and rarely, OAS can cause severe laryngeal edema, resulting in difficulty swallowing and breathing, which usually appears immediately (within 5-10 minutes) after ingesting fruits, nuts or vegetables, and in rare cases, may occur after 1 hour.
Other symptoms include the palate and ear canal, itchy skin, or other cutaneous manifestations, such as acute urticaria.
How do doctors diagnose pollen allergies?
Each plant has a pollination period that does not change much from year to year, and if you or a family member is allergic to pollen and develops symptoms at the same time each year, then an obvious association can be found, and a basic diagnosis can be made by medical history alone.
If no clear association can be found, it is necessary to confirm pollen sensitivity by skin prick testing (the most accurate) or pollen-specific IgE measurement to confirm pollen sensitivity in order to confirm pollen allergy. Doctors make the diagnosis based on a history of symptoms that occurred in the season and the results of allergen testing. (See: Is the skin prick test painful?) Don't be afraid, it's like being bitten by a mosquito)
If a skin prick test is not available, or if you are using interfering drugs or other reasons that prevent you from having a skin prick test, a specific IgE assay may help determine whether you are sensitive to pollen, which is usually less sensitive than a skin prick test. Your doctor will decide which test to use based on your specific situation.
How to avoid pollen and prevent symptoms?
If you have allergies at the same time each year as mentioned earlier, consult your doctor, some symptoms can be prevented by starting the medication 1 or 2 weeks before that specific time, and we can also take the following precautions to reduce pollen exposure.
1. Check the weather forecast and pollen concentration forecast at any time during the pollen season.
Reasonable travel arrangements according to forecasts, pollen predictions are usually based on the amount of pollen in the past 24 hours, which can be used as a reference.
At present, countries around the world basically have regularly updated pollen concentration detection and forecast information open to the public, which can be queried through mini programs, websites and apps. Find accurate information on pollen concentration and quantity in your area from these pathways, try not to travel when pollen concentration is high, and take precautions when you have to travel.
These pathways include:
1. The WeChat mini program "Pollen Health Treasure" jointly launched by Beijing Meteorological Bureau and Beijing Tongren Hospital can check the pollen forecast in Beijing. The mainland has a large land area and a vast territory, and the allergenic pollen varies from place to place, and the allergenic pollen in most cities can also be found on the mini program.
2. The pollen forecast of the United States can be queried on pollen.aaaai.org and pollen.com;
3. Japan's pollen forecast app: tenki.jp;
4, Australia's pollen forecasting app: the weather channel.
*Our official account cannot insert external links, you need to copy the URL to the browser to visit.
2. Improve indoor air quality.
If possible, install a fresh air system indoors, or use an air purifier with a special filter (i.e. HEPA filter). Keep indoor air as clean as possible and reduce the use of carpets and curtains, as pollen can easily adhere to these items.
3. Do not dry clothes outdoors during the pollen season to remove pollen from clothes.
When going out, it is recommended to wear long-sleeved trousers (preferably clothes with a smooth texture that is not easy to stain pollen), and women tie up their hair to reduce the contact area with pollen.
When you get home, it is recommended to take off your shoes outside the house before entering the house. Change clean clothes in time, and wear clothes should be washed immediately.
Be sure to wash your face and hands after returning home to wash off the adhering pollen, it is recommended to wash and bathe every day before going to bed to rinse off the pollen from your hair and skin.
4. Wear protective devices such as masks, sunglasses or goggles.
When outdoors or exercising during pollen season, it is recommended to wear sunglasses or goggles to prevent pollen from causing allergic conjunctivitis and avoid wearing contact lenses.
Masks are essential accessories to protect the respiratory tract and avoid pollen inhalation, whether they can isolate pollen well, in addition to the right size, depends on the "filtering effect" of the mask and the "fit between the mask and the face".
Nose fit, cheek fit
Filtration efficiency: Since pollen diameter generally ranges from 9 μm (micron) to 200 μm, tree pollen is 20-60 μm in diameter, grass pollen is usually 30-40 μm, it is recommended to wear masks that can protect against 3 μm and smaller particles during the pollen season to reduce pollen inhalation.
a. Medical surgical masks that meet the standards
It can filter particles larger than 3 μm, effectively block pollen particles, the filtration effect is undoubted, the price is not expensive, but the medical surgical mask is rectangular design, can not fit closely with the face, the protective effect should be reduced when the pollen concentration is high.
b. N95 masks that meet the standards
0.3μm particle filtration efficiency reaches 95%, can filter as small as 0.04μm small particles, effectively block finer pollen particles, and the fit of the face is high, but the price is slightly more expensive, the cost is higher, the comfort and breathability when wearing will be lower than that of medical surgical masks, long-term wear will make people feel uncomfortable, may lead to hypoxia, poor breathing, can be worn selectively when pollen concentration is high, not suitable for long-term wear.
c. Cotton masks
The air permeability is good, but the pore size of the fabric is large, which cannot effectively block pollen particles, and is not suitable for wearing in the pollen season.
5. Do a good job of eye and nasal irrigation
Artificial tears are used as needed to help flush out pollen that enters the eye.
Nasal irrigation is performed as needed, with a normal sea salt spray for younger children, and a nasal wash from the nose in a neti pot for older children to remove pollen and other allergens from the nose.
6. Pollen blocker
Applied to the nasal cavity, attached to the surface of the nasal mucosa, forming a protective film, playing a role in blocking pollen, its main ingredient is petroleum jelly, you can consider directly using petroleum jelly without additives.
7. The most helpless trick: stay indoors.
If the amount of pollen near your home is high, it is recommended that you stay indoors, close car windows or room windows, and use air conditioning to ventilate to prevent pollen from entering the room.
Of course, if you can, you can go on vacation during pollen season, or consider moving to a city with a lower pollen concentration. For example, my friend hid in Lijiang by mistake. (Envy)
Finally, let's make a summary:
Avoiding pollen is more difficult than other allergens, because pollination is a global natural phenomenon that occurs periodically, so source control is impossible, so it is almost impossible to completely avoid pollen;
2. If your symptoms persist, or if you have noticeable symptoms at certain times of the year, it is recommended that you see an allergist to give appropriate medications to reduce your symptoms, or to evaluate the indications for desensitization therapy.
Pay attention to Zhuozheng science popularization and get closer to health
| Author of this article
Xie Jingwen
Former pediatrician of the 900th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the People's Liberation Army Chinese People's Liberation Army
| Reviewers
Lu Jiao
Zhuo Zheng pediatrician
Master of Nanjing Medical University
Poke this to see/consult the doctor
| bibliography
1. Allergen avoidance in the treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis.uptodate
2. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of oral allergy syndrome (pollen-food allergy syndrome).
3、Landscape Plant Selection Criteria for the Allergic Patient. Green BJ, Levetin E, Horner WE, Codina R, Barnes CS, Filley WV. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2018; 6(6): 1869.
4、 Wraparound eyeglasses improve symptoms and quality of life in patients with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Sule Comert et al. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2016 Jul.
5、https://www.aaaai.org/Tools-for-the-Public/Conditions-Library/Allergies/Outdoor-allergens-TTR
6. Say the allergist. Pollen allergy related chapters. Editor-in-chief: Yin Jia, Wang Lianglu.
| Content team
Medical Editor/Falcon Executive Producer/Yelow
Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is to provide general health information, please consult a doctor for personal medical questions. For reprinting the article, please contact: [email protected].
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