Text/Lin Yu, Contributing Writer of CC Intelligence Bureau, Phoenix.com
Key Takeaways:
1. According to the official warning of willow flying, the first high-incidence period of flyings in Beijing will occur between April 12 and 18. According to the pollen monitoring and forecast data in Beijing, the pollen concentration on April 12 was mainly level 5, which was a very high level (> 800 grains). The willow flocculation period generally lasts for about 50 days. Pollen allergens are the most predominant allergens in the north, accounting for about 30% of the population with allergic rhinitis.
2. Studies have shown that pollen from wind-pollinated trees is the culprit of spring allergies. The larger the amount of pollen and the longer it drifts through the air, the more likely it is to be exposed to people with allergies, causing allergic reactions. In fact, willow fly is not an allergen, but it is a tool for "transporting" pollen, and it is a contributor to the outbreak of allergies.
3. If pollen allergy is not prevented and treated, nearly half of patients will develop seasonal asthma within 9 years. At present, the treatment of allergies in medicine is relatively limited, and there is no specific drug for pollen allergies, which can only alleviate the symptoms and cannot cure them completely. Patients with a history of allergies can protect themselves and reduce allergy symptoms by wearing veils, eye masks, face shields, masks, goggles, and medical masks that meet the standards.
Early warning: The Beijing-Tianjin area has entered the high incidence period of willow flying, and the peak of spring allergies is coming
The annual spring allergy peak has arrived.
According to the "Meteorological Beijing" issued by the willow fly floc warning, the first high incidence period of fly floc in Beijing appeared between April 12 and 18, mainly affecting the inner urban area of the Fifth Ring Road, and the fly floc tree species is poplar tomentosa.
The second peak period was from late April to early May, and the main flocculent tree species were poplar, poplar, weeping willow and willow.
The third peak period is in mid-May, and the main area is mountainous areas, which has no obvious impact on urban areas. Willow flocculation has obvious periodicity and seasonality, and the fluff period will last for about 50 days. During the flying season, the peak is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.
Poplar and willow are common tree species in the northern region, according to relevant reports, Tianjin, Shandong Peninsula, Shanxi, Hebei, Northeast and other places, will enter the high incidence period of poplar willow flocculation around mid to late April.
According to the pollen monitoring and forecast data in Beijing, the pollen concentration on April 12 was mainly level 5, which was a very high level (> 800 grains). Beijing is the "hardest hit area" of pollen allergies, and the willow season is almost a nightmare for allergies in spring. In this 50-day flying cycle, patients with allergic rhinitis almost have to go through a round of catastrophe.
Sneezing, tears, difficulty breathing......
More and more people suffer from allergies, and some patients suffer from allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, etc. This kind of "breathing pain" caused by pollen allergies has seriously affected people's work and life.
According to the multi-center epidemiological study in mainland China, pollen allergens are the most important allergens in northern China, accounting for about 30% of the population with allergic rhinitis, and the number of cases reaches 75 million, and it is increasing year by year. Allergies affect more than 200 million people in China and are known as the "epidemic of the new century".
Is willow fly the root cause of allergies? Does the pollen that causes spring hay fever come from flowers or trees? Can allergies be cured? How to prevent and treat them?
Willow fly itself is not allergenic, but is it responsible for transporting pollen allergens?
For a long time, willow fly has been regarded as the culprit of spring pollen allergies, but what is the truth?
The fluff of poplars and willows in spring is actually a phenomenon of natural reproduction of female poplars and willows. The characteristics of poplars and willows are dioecious, that is, poplars and willows are divided into male and female trees. Female poplars and willows can produce flying.
▎The willow species planted in the Beijing area are Populus tomentosa (top) and Salix matsudana (bottom).
There are two main forms of pollen transmission: insect vector and wind vector. Insect pollen, such as rape flowers, peach blossoms, and pear blossoms, is spread by insects such as bees or butterflies. It is not easy to spread and usually does not cause allergies.
Wind pollen, such as pollen from cypresses, poplars, willows, birches, sycamores, etc. It has a small flower shape and high pollen content, and can drift far away with the wind. The flying flotsam of poplar and willow trees is the mode of transmission of wind media. The fly flies with the help of the wind and then takes root.
According to research, pollen from wind-pollinated trees is the culprit of spring allergies. In the northern part of the mainland, the common pollen of trees in spring is the pollen of juniper, plane tree, ash, poplar, willow, elm and other trees. When the pollen of the "wind flower" is transmitted through the air, the amount is usually very large. The larger the amount of pollen and the longer it drifts through the air, the more likely it is to be exposed to people with allergies, causing allergic reactions.
▎From left to right, birch powder, cypress powder and ash powder.
The allergen with a high incidence in mid-to-late March this year is juniper. Juniper pollen is the "number one killer" of spring pollen allergies. Yin Jia, director of the allergy department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, once pointed out that "juniper pollen allergy is a characteristic disease and a wealthy disease in Beijing, which occurs from early March to early April every year, and patients with juniper pollen allergy are rarely seen in other cities." ”
In addition to cypresses, salicaceae are also "accomplices" in pollen allergies. The main source of pollen for trees in the Salix family is the pollen produced by male plants when they bloom. The caterpillar-like thing you usually see on poplar trees is the male inflorescence of poplars, which is the source of pollen. Poplar tomentosa, poplar from Xinjiang, poplar japonica, willow, willow, willow with mantous, and willow from dragon's claw, which are widely planted in northern China, will produce pollen. And the fly floc is produced by the female willow tree, and the fly floc itself is a seed, not pollen.
Fly is not pollen, so why can it cause allergies when it sticks to people's faces and is accidentally inhaled?
Wang Lianglu, deputy director of the allergy department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, believes that poplar is not an allergen and will not cause allergies. The most common allergen in spring is pollen, which can easily cause allergic rhinitis, manifested as runny nose, sneezing, etc., and in severe cases, it can cause coughing and suffocation. Some people have allergic reactions after inhaling flying flotsam, and have symptoms of allergic rhinitis such as sneezing and runny nose, and even trigger asthma. In windy weather, flying flotsam and other things are easy to blur people's faces, and it is easier to stimulate allergic reactions after rubbing eyes and noses. These are mainly because in the process of flying, it is easy to carry all kinds of plant pollen, bacteria, viruses, dust, etc., and has nothing to do with the poplar catkins themselves.
▎The staff of the Beijing Garden Bureau is injecting a female willow tree with drugs to inhibit flying.
Other studies believe that the pollen particles are small and difficult to identify with the naked eye, and their dispersal time partially overlaps with the appearance time of willow flying, and the willow catkins themselves can irritate the local skin, and some may also carry other allergenic pollen, which leads people to mistakenly believe that willow flyings are the culprits of allergies.
In other words, willow fly is not an allergen and does not cause allergies, but it is a tool for "transporting" pollen and is a contributor to allergy outbreaks.
▎In Fengtai District, Beijing, a staff member used a high-pressure water gun to spray water on the female poplar to humidify it to reduce flying.
Why can't pollen allergies be cured?What can be done to treat them?Does wearing a mask help?
In Beijing, Juniper pollen allergy is mainly in March, but the pollen period of juniper is coming to an end, and mid-April is the peak period of birch pollen, sycamore pollen, ash pollen and poplar catkins.
The symptoms of pollen allergies are similar to those of other seasonal allergies. Symptoms include nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, headache, and fatigue, among others. Allergies can also trigger asthma attacks and contact hives. The symptoms of pollen allergies and colds are also different. After allergies, many people often think that they have a cold, and directly treat it as a cold or take cold medicine on their own, abusing antibiotics and medicines.
Every spring and autumn, if you have cold symptoms, you should first confirm whether you have a cold or allergies. In fact, the way to distinguish a cold from an allergy is simple. Allergic rhinitis attacks are mostly paroxysmal sneezes, often as many as dozens. Itchy nose, profuse watery nasal discharge, nasal congestion, and absence of fever are all symptoms of allergies. In addition, cold symptoms appear every spring, which last for more than a month and do not improve, and this obvious seasonal attack is mostly pollen allergies.
If pollen allergies are not prevented and treated, nearly half of people with allergies will develop seasonal asthma within 9 years. Asthma patients will experience instantaneous suffocation at the onset of the disease, which can even be life-threatening. For people with frequent allergies, the first thing is to find out the allergen and treat it in a targeted manner. At present, the main way to detect allergies is skin prick test (SPT), which is the simplest and most sensitive way to identify allergens.
Yin Jia, director of the allergy department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, suggested that after the allergen is detected, desensitization treatment is recommended. Although there is no cure for allergies, desensitization therapy is the only treatment that has been shown to alter the natural course of allergic disease. It is understood that at present, only the allergy department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital in mainland China has pollen-specific immunotherapy subcutaneous injection preparations for juniper, humulus, artemisia and other pollen, and desensitization treatment requires subcutaneous injection of the preparation twice a week, continuous injection for 3 to 5 years, and the average annual drug cost is more than 3,000 yuan. The entire process of this treatment is completed by the patient visiting the hospital. Due to factors such as the long course and high cost of desensitization therapy, the proportion of patients who actually receive desensitization therapy is relatively low.
At present, the medical treatment of allergies is relatively limited, and there is no specific medicine for pollen allergy, which can only alleviate the symptoms, but cannot cure it. Pollen allergies are also not preventable, and it is better for allergy sufferers to take precautions in advance, which is more effective than taking medication after an attack. Rhinitis and asthma caused by pollen allergy have a definite attack time, and patients can take preventive medication accordingly. Patients with mild allergies can be treated with antihistamine eye drops, nasal sprays, oral antihistamines, and glucocorticoid nasal sprays throughout the season.
People with pollen allergies must know which type of plant they are allergic to, pay attention to when the pollen is spreading, and do some protection during the dispersal period. The most effective way to protect yourself is to reduce exposure to allergens that cause symptoms. Patients with a history of allergies can be protected by wearing veils, eye masks, face shields, masks, and goggles to reduce allergy symptoms. Medical masks that meet the standards can effectively block pollen particles.
The warning of spring willow flying is ten o'clock every day is the high incidence period, at this time, allergy patients should try to avoid going out and close the doors and windows. It is best to bring desensitization medication when going out, and if you encounter itchy skin, fever, cough, or shortness of breath, you should leave quickly and take medicine in time. If the symptoms are significantly worse or if asthma occurs, it is recommended to go to the hospital in time.
I wish you all a safe spring allergy rush.