Today is National Nose Day, but do you know why Nose Day is set in April?
Because allergic rhinitis occurs more often with spring, the incidence of rhinitis will increase sharply in April, so the second Saturday in April is designated as "National Nose Love Day". Spring is coming, everything is recovering, and it's the season of pollen allergy again
If you have a friend/colleague around you who sneeze constantly, don't be afraid and don't report ta, ta is not cold/fever/needs to be isolated, ta is just allergic
Pollen allergy is a systemic disease, which not only directly causes discomfort in the mouth, nose, eyes and other parts, but also develops further, which may lead to sinusitis and even asthma, irritation of the skin can also cause dermatitis and urticaria.
Moreover, what is more sad is that there is currently no cure for pollen allergies, and only measures can be taken to prevent and alleviate allergy symptoms
"Too long to watch" version:
1. Cherry blossoms and peach blossoms and other insect-borne flower pollen particles are larger and difficult to cause allergies, while wind pollen particles such as willow poplars and cypresses are smaller and are the main allergens of pollen allergy
2. The symptoms of pollen allergy and colds are similar, but there are also many differences in terms of onset time, systemic symptoms, etc
3. For the treatment of hay fever, there are currently three main methods: drug control, avoiding contact with allergens and desensitization treatment
Not all pollen can cause allergies
Seasonal allergies are often referred to as hay fever, and although the name hay fever is somewhat misleading, and some fungal spores can also cause seasonal allergies, pollen is usually the biggest allergen for spring allergies.
Most of the time, our immune system is working dutifully to protect the body from viruses and bacteria by producing antibodies. But in some cases, the immune system will also "misjudge", such as treating harmless substances (such as pollen, etc.) as enemies, and releasing antibodies that attack allergens, resulting in the release of histamine into the blood, resulting in a series of symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and so on.
In general, large insect-borne pollen (cherry blossoms, pear blossoms, apricot blossoms, peach blossoms, etc.) has large particles that cannot completely penetrate the upper airway barrier or mucous membrane, and cannot completely cause spring allergies; Aeon-borne flowers (poplar, willow, cypress, humulus, artemisia, ragweed, etc.) have smaller particles and high dissemination, which is more likely to induce allergies.
(The amount of pollen of a Japanese cedar/image source network, invasion and deletion)
There are two pollen allergy seasons every year, the first is from early March to late May, and the main causes of allergies are pollen from trees such as cypress and mulberry; The second is from about the end of July and the beginning of August to the end of September and the beginning of October, and it is the pollen of weeds such as Artemisia annua (Artemisia annua of the Asteraceae family), Humulus (also known as Lala straw, mulberry grass) and other summer and autumn weeds.
Can't tell the difference between allergies and colds?
In terms of symptoms, pollen allergies and colds do have many similarities, they both cause nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing, but at the same time, they also have some differences:
Seasonal allergies can cause the following symptoms, while colds do not:
itching of the nose, palate, back of the pharynx and eyes;
Teary eyes;
Similar symptoms occur at the same time of year each year.
Colds can cause the following symptoms, while seasonal allergies do not:
Physical pain;
Run a fever;
Sore throat.
In addition, the common cold is a self-limited disease, basically 3-5 days can heal itself, but seasonal allergies will worsen with age, and even develop into asthma, so early detection and early treatment, in the allergy season pay attention to strengthen protection.
How to prevent pollen allergies?
If you are allergic as soon as spring arrives and you don't know the reason, you can go to the hospital to check the allergen first. At present, there are more than 30 kinds of pollen that can be treated with causes in China, and you can try desensitization treatment or use drugs according to the doctor's guidance during the allergy season.
(Source: 123RF)
There are currently three main methods for the treatment of hay fever: drug control, allergen avoidance, and desensitization therapy.
Drug control: during the onset of pollen season, medication is controlled, and the most commonly used drugs include antihistamines, leukotriene receptor antagonists, and glucocorticoids;
Avoid contact: Use pollen blockers, as well as take some preventive measures ↓
1. Weather conditions with low humidity, stable wind speed and no precipitation are the most suitable for pollen transmission, try to avoid long-term outdoor activities in such weather;
2. If necessary, wear a mask and goggles;
3. When opening the window for ventilation, choose a time period with low pollen concentration and low wind (pay attention to the official account of the local meteorological bureau, or you can obtain daily pollen concentration and other information);
4. Change clothes after returning from outing, wash face, nose and other exposed skin areas;
5. Frequently clean air filters and bookshelves, carpets and other places where pollen mold may gather;
Desensitization treatment: The principle of this method is a bit like "fighting poison with poison", simply put, first identify your allergen, and then contact from low dose to high dose, so that you have tolerance to this allergen, so that allergic symptoms are reduced or even no allergic symptoms, the treatment cycle generally takes 3~5 years, and the success rate is about 85%.
It should be noted that if you are receiving the new crown vaccine, you should suspend the desensitization treatment 1 week ~ 2 weeks before and after the vaccination.
(Source: 123RF)
Finally, Chunyujun kindly reminds that if your pollen allergy symptoms are more serious, it is difficult to take medicine, and even when there is asthma, you must see a doctor in time, and desensitization treatment requires accurate assessment and control by doctors, and you must not try it yourself~
Editor: Dr. Chunyu
Resources:
[1] Meteorological Beijing, How to observe pollen in the air, 2020-03-25, https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404486332788375979
[2] Beijing Meteorological Service Center, pollen concentration is known early, it is important to do a good job of protection, 2020-03-30, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Z42J2TkDOmxHnDQ-J21v3Q
[3] MSD Manual of Diagnosis and Treatment, Seasonal Allergic Reactions, 2014-05, https://www.msdmanuals.cn/home/immune-disorders/allergic-reactions-and-other-hypersensitivity-disorders/seasonal-allergies?query=%E8%BF%87% E6%95%8F
[4] Popular Science China, How Much Do You Know About Spring Pollen, 2019-11-14, https://cloud.kepuchina.cn/search/imgText?id=451820