Blindly increase resistance, stop medication at will, expect self-healing...
Why do allergies keep repeating?
Three truths for you
It's the time when all things recover and spring flowers bloom. While everyone goes out of the house and gets close to nature, friends with allergies also start the new year's allergy journey - red eyes, itchy eyes, sneezing, runny nose, coughing, suffocating, itchy skin ...even eating a fruit or a nut induces shock.
With the increasing number of allergic people, various rumors have gradually appeared on the Internet, so are these rumors true or false?
Today, experts from the Allergy Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital will talk about the three major rumors about allergies, remember not to listen to them!
Rumor 1: Allergies are the fault of "poor immunity"!
The human immune system includes the humoral immune system and the cellular immune system, which can help us identify and remove foreign invading pathogens, cancer cells in the body, and normal cells that die from aging.
When the immune system that maintains the balance of the body is disturbed, it will cause corresponding diseases:
(1) If the ability to identify and attack "enemies" is low, infection and tumors will be caused;
(2) If you mistakenly identify your own healthy cells as "enemies" to attack, it will cause autoimmune diseases;
(3) If harmless substances are also over-identified as "enemies" and attacked, it will cause allergies.
It can be seen that in the face of foreign invaders, the normal immune system will only attack and destroy microorganisms and pathogens that threaten human health; if the immune system has "cognitive confusion", or even "recognizes friends as enemies", it begins to overdo it. Attacking pollen, food, etc. that do not pose a threat into the body, in this process, the body will cause immune inflammation due to "disastrous pond fish", which also causes an "allergic reaction".
Therefore, allergies are caused by immune disorders, which does not mean "lack of immunity", nor "low immunity". Simply improving immunity may not help, but may further aggravate allergic reactions.
Rumor 2: Once the allergy symptoms are relieved, you can stop the drug!
The onset of allergic reactions depends on two factors: internal and external factors: the internal factor is that the body produces immunity that misidentifies and attacks foreign substances, mainly immunoglobulin E (IgE); the external factor is that every allergic season, there are a large number of Allergens that can coexist with normal people but are regarded as "enemy" by people with allergies, such as pollen.
Every spring, people with allergies will get sick once they inhale the pollen they are allergic to.
If the whole allergy process is likened to dominoes, then the first card is the inner gene, the second card is the lifestyle that triggers the allergy, the third card is IgE, and the fourth card is the pollen of the allergy season. The card is the inflammation caused by the allergy, and when the last card falls, the patient becomes ill.
Many people think that "medicine is three-point poison", and feel that it is necessary to use medication when an allergic attack occurs, but it can be used when the symptoms are relieved and disappeared.
In fact, this is wrong.
Although medication can hold down the last card so that it does not fall down and relieve the symptoms, the previously fallen cards will not be lifted up and straightened, that is, the allergy constitution will not be changed, the allergy season will not end, and the allergy symptoms will stop. It will come back after taking the medicine.
The practical experience of Peking Union Medical College Hospital in recent years has confirmed that after helping patients find the pathogenic allergen, the doctor instructs the patient to start regular use of anti-allergic drugs two weeks in advance according to the monitored pollen dispersal time period, and flexibly guide the medication according to the pollen concentration. It is also confirmed that after two weeks of pollen dissemination, stopping the drug can help most patients cope with the allergy season smoothly, which has a multiplier effect.
Commonly used clinical allergy drugs include drugs that antagonize allergic mediators, such as antihistamines and antileukotrienes.
In addition, there are glucocorticoids used to suppress excessive immune inflammation.
In recent years, through the unremitting improvement of medicines by medical experts, the safety of commonly used oral antiallergic drugs, nasal sprays or inhaled topical glucocorticoids has been greatly improved. Under the guidance of professional doctors, they can be safely used for long-term allergy management.
Myth 3: Allergic rhinitis gets better with age!
Many parents or patients do not pay attention to allergic rhinitis. They feel that as their children grow up, their physique will become stronger, and allergic rhinitis will be cured without medication.
In fact, this idea partly stems from rumor 1 and partly stems from insufficient awareness of allergic rhinitis.
Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common types of allergic diseases. It seems to be a small problem, but it is inextricably linked with other allergic diseases.
The first of the four symptoms of allergic rhinitis - stuffy nose, can cause hypoxia in the body, endanger the child's physical and intellectual development, and also promote sleep apnea syndrome, aggravate the body's cardiovascular system load, and even endanger life.
Allergic rhinitis is mostly associated with conjunctivitis, which affects visual acuity, and can also be associated with otitis media, resulting in hearing loss, and even 30%-40% of patients will develop fatal asthma.
Long-term irregular treatment of allergic rhinitis (especially in the adolescent stage) may affect the development of the maxillofacial region, causing crooked teeth and "demented face".
It can be seen that although allergic rhinitis may appear as a minor illness in the initial stage, it can affect hearing and vision, and can also cause asthma and affect the face.
It is not advisable to wait passively for allergic rhinitis to heal itself. Everyone should distinguish the rumors, strengthen the study of popular science knowledge, follow the diagnosis and treatment plan of professional doctors in regular hospitals, and control "minor problems" and "minor problems" in the budding stage.
Text / Guan Kai (Peking Union Medical College Hospital)