INTERVIEW
With the early arrival of spring and the fresh air of March, the pollens are out, causing their share of seasonal allergies. At issue at this time of the year: pollen of birch and ash in the North and in the Northeast but also those of cypress in the South. Problem: allergy sufferers fear even more than usual for their health because of the coronavirus.
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This is particularly the case for Sofiane, who testifies to her difficult daily life. "Every night, it's the same ritual: I take a shot of Ventoline and I get up because I can't breathe while lying down," he summed up. "I go back to sleep but I can't sleep because of these allergies which really make me go through hell to breathe at night.
Fear of breathing problems
At the moment, it is difficult to bear the pollens for Sofiane, who is allergic to nine types of trees. Confinement in a house that overlooks a garden does not help because it is impossible for him to change the air. To this disease is added the anxiety of contracting the coronavirus, which often nestles in the respiratory tract.
"I tell myself that if I catch Covid-19, I don't know how I'm going to be able to breathe. We hear a lot that among the symptoms is respiratory distress," said Sofiane, worried. "Is it going to be necessary to hospitalize me and put me in intensive care?", He wonders then.
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Despite this context, for Dr. Édouard Sève, vice-president of the union of allergists, allergic people should not give in to panic. "The majority of allergy sufferers are not more fragile. This does not mean that we are going to have more serious forms of Covid-19," he reassures.
Follow his treatments
"On the other hand, for severe allergy sufferers and those who have asthma, you should really take your treatments as usual. You can even increase them," recommends the doctor, who advises "do not hesitate to talk about them." to his doctor to take stock. "
If you experience symptoms (hay fever, itchy throat, sneezing), the allergist Sylvie Grieu advises, on the other hand, to "take your antihistamines without hesitation to relieve". The goal of his treatments: "to have mucous membranes in good condition and more resistant" to better protect against diseases.
Same observation for asthmatics: "we continue its basic treatments", insists Sylvie Grieu, who specifies that "having an ill-controlled asthma is a factor of seriousness" against the Covid-19.