Spring is the season of high incidence of allergic diseases. Many people begin to face frequent sneezing, rubbing their eyes, and going out with hats, sunglasses, and masks.
Observing the surroundings, more and more people suffer from allergies, and some patients are deeply affected by allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, atopic dermatitis and other "torments". It is estimated that the number of patients with allergic diseases in mainland China may be in the hundreds of millions.
People still have a lot of doubts about allergic diseases, and I hope that the answers of authoritative people can help "allergy stars" spend spring safely.
How can you tell if you have allergies?
"The sneezing doesn't stop, the snot doesn't stop, is this an allergy, doctor?" "When I go to a place where flowers are blooming, my throat is itchy, is it an allergy?" ……
Wang Huiying, a member of the Standing Committee of the Allergist Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, said that there are generally two steps to determine whether there is an allergy:
Look at the symptoms first. In general, allergies will have a variety of symptoms, mainly manifested as runny nose, sneezing, itchy nose, blocked nose, and severe shortness of breath, chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing, red and swollen skin, urticaria and so on.
The second is to find the cause. For example, whether there is a stress response caused by exposure to things that are not normally easy to touch.
Of course, some allergy sufferers experience seasonal recurrences, or allergic reactions that last for a longer period of time, depending on the weather and environment. And to find out the "real culprit", accurate screening is still needed.
Wang Huiying, a member of the Standing Committee of the Allergist Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, works in the clinic. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
Severe allergies: Are they really life-threatening?
Allergic diseases are often not taken seriously by patients, especially seasonal allergies, and many people think that "just stand up" and pass. But experts say it's a mistaken idea, and if allergic diseases are allowed to recur, they can become severe.
Wang Huiying introduced that some severe allergic reactions are sudden onset of unknown causes, and some are acute attacks caused by repeated contact with long-term allergens. Once flare-up, it is often a symptom that spreads rapidly throughout the body.
Some people have "redness and swelling all over the body", which is an immediate reaction of the skin and mucous membranes; Some people say that they "can't breathe and feel like they're going to be suffocated to death", which is a sign of upper and lower respiratory tract involvement, such as laryngeal edema; Some people say that "the eyes are black" and "fainting and can't wake up". These initial symptoms, which can be mild or severe, can eventually be life-threatening if left untreated. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to allergic diseases and stop their progression from mild to severe.
Allergen screening is cumbersome, does it really work?
"I heard that allergen screening requires dozens or even hundreds of needles on the arm?" In life, such misinformation "dissuades" many people who want to be screened, and also brings doubts about "whether dozens of screening items are useful".
For allergies, most patients usually only need symptomatic treatment; However, for people who are often allergic, only through allergen screening to find out which allergen is causing the allergic reaction, can the problem be fundamentally solved.
Therefore, allergen screening is of great significance for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of allergic diseases.
It is understood that there can be tens of thousands of allergens in nature, and only 20 to 100 kinds can be detected when testing. Wang Huiying explained that not everyone needs to do so many items, and the most suitable combination of items can be selected for screening.
Some people have allergies during the pollen season every year, so they need to screen for allergens such as tree pollen and grass pollen; Some people have allergic symptoms after entering a room that they have not lived in for a long time, or after using an air conditioner that has been left unused for a long time, then mold allergen screening is a must.
According to experts, in order to make the screening as accurate as possible, the doctor should be provided with detailed medical history information as much as possible to help judge the general direction of allergen screening; Mixed items can also be selected for screening to increase the detection rate of allergen screening while reducing the financial burden.
How to use anti-allergy drugs is scientific?
Many allergy patients love and worry about medication. Although the symptoms can be relieved after taking drugs, the doubt that "regular medication will not cause dependence or side effects" has always been a concern for patients.
In this regard, experts pointed out that allergy patients should take medication under the guidance of a doctor and in accordance with the doctor's prescription. Yang Boyun, attending physician of the Department of Allergy (Allergy) of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, introduced that in recent years, a large number of biological agents for the treatment of allergic diseases have been put on the market, gradually replacing oral hormone therapy, and also avoiding the additional burden of hormone side effects on patients.
"There are also desensitization treatments that can solve the long-term problems of some allergy patients; For allergic diseases where genetic factors are dominant, genetic testing technology is also exploring the code to crack these problems. Yang Boyun said.
Yang Boyun (first from right), attending physician of the Department of Allergy (Allergy) of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, visited the patient. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
At present, it is a period of high incidence of pollen allergy, and many clinicians remind that patients with pollen allergy who have been diagnosed in the past can also use drugs such as cetirizine and loratadine in advance to improve their symptoms and avoid serious symptoms; People with mild allergic symptoms can also use immunomodulatory drugs such as probiotics and bacterial lysates in advance to improve immune function and prevent or alleviate allergy symptoms.
How to prevent patients with allergies?
Allergies "can't be provoked", and "hiding" is also a "good remedy".
The interviewed doctors believe that "prevention is better than cure" to solve the problem of allergies, and the key is to implement policies that vary from person to person.
For people with frequent allergies, the first priority is to find out the allergen and avoid contact; People with a history of severe allergies, such as anaphylactic shock, should carry "life-saving medications" such as epinephrine and an injection device with them.
If you are allergic to dust mites, you need to wash the bedding frequently and dry it in the sun; If you are allergic to mold, you should pay attention to opening more windows for ventilation, and clean up moldy books and food in time; When it is windy on a sunny day, people with pollen allergies should go out less and avoid strenuous exercise; For people who are allergic to dog hair, cat hair, etc., it is best to avoid pets entering the bedroom; People who are allergic to a certain food can avoid "getting into the mouth" as long as they find the allergenic food.
At the same time, good sleep, a balanced diet, regular exercise and other immune-boosting lifestyle habits can reduce the probability of allergic symptoms.
Source: Xinhua News Agency