Did you know that bad emotions can also press the allergy "start button"
【Allergy Survey ③】
Emotional hypersensitivity is a psychosomatic disease that is closely related to stress and emotions.
Severe endocrine disorders due to dramatic changes in mood, so that the body's metabolism disorders.
The skin is like a psychological "stress detector". A sudden increase in pressure or repeated mood swings may cause allergic symptoms such as urticaria and dermatitis.
Chen Qinggang, Chief Physician, Department of Clinical Psychology, Tianjin Anding Hospital
After entering the summer, many people who are allergic to pollen feel much better, and the symptoms of itchy nose, sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes have been significantly reduced or even disappeared.
However, some people's allergy symptoms do not improve, or they recur, because their allergies have nothing to do with the season, but are caused by negative emotions such as tension and stress.
These negative emotions can cause skin allergy symptoms such as rashes and itching, which is also known as "emotional allergy".
So, why do some people develop emotional allergies?
What should I do if I have symptoms?
In this regard, the reporter of Science and Technology Daily interviewed relevant experts.
Skin acts like a psychological 'stress detector'
A topic on Sina Weibo titled "How outrageous can allergens be?" From various foods to sunlight and water, the substances that cause allergies can be described as bizarre.
However, compared with "tangible" allergens, emotions are "invisible and intangible", and emotional allergic reactions will recur, which is very disturbing.
"Emotional hypersensitivity is a psychosomatic disease that is closely related to stress and emotions. Serious endocrine disorders are caused by drastic changes in emotions, and the body's metabolism is disordered." Chen Qinggang, chief physician of the Clinical Psychology Department of Tianjin Anding Hospital, was interviewed by a reporter from Science and Technology Daily When introduced, the skin is like a psychological "pressure detector", and a sudden increase in pressure or repeated mood swings may cause allergic symptoms such as urticaria and dermatitis.
The biggest difference between emotional allergies and common allergies is that allergy symptoms will change with stress and emotional changes.
When stress and negative emotions are alleviated, allergy symptoms will also be alleviated.
And once the stress builds up, allergy symptoms can come back.
Chen Qinggang said that in general, emotional hypersensitivity is the result of a combination of psychological and physiological mechanisms.
In terms of physiological mechanism, the human body is a highly sophisticated unity. When the sympathetic nerves are overexcited due to negative emotions such as anger and depression, the neurotransmitters (substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide, growth hormone, etc.) in the skin, nerve Peptides will be released in large quantities, stimulating the cell membrane of mast cells to rupture, and allergy mesons such as histamine and serotonin will be released, which will not only cause pain and other symptoms in the human body, but also stimulate the skin to appear pimples, red adverse reactions such as rash.
In terms of psychological mechanism, emotional hypersensitivity is a manifestation of psychological disorder, which is the result of psychological harm caused by the external environment.
"The sensitized negative emotions are not single, but multiple accumulations. For example, if emotional hypersensitivity is caused by excessive stress, the patient is likely to suffer from multiple pressures such as further education and employment. Generally, people can deal with and resolve them. A single bad mood, but when bad moods overlap or strike at the same time, some people may be overwhelmed." Chen Qinggang explained.
Emotional hypersensitivity may be related to constitution and personality
According to a report released by an agency, 30% to 40% of people in the world are troubled by allergies, but only a small number of people will develop emotional allergies.
In life, most people will face different levels of emotional problems, but why do some people have allergy symptoms and some people are fine?
"This is related to people's constitution. People with emotional allergies are mostly allergic constitutions." Chen Qinggang explained that allergies, that is, genetic factors, are the internal causes of allergies.
If it is not allergic constitution, various emotional problems may only cause mental illness, such as depression, anxiety and so on.
Chen Qinggang said that emotional allergies have some relationship with the personality of patients with allergic constitution, who are too sensitive and introverted; or people who pay too much attention to the body and are particularly nervous when there is a little trouble on the body; people with negative personality and many negative emotions, Emotional allergies are especially common.
"In addition, the patient's past life experience may also induce emotional hypersensitivity." Chen Qinggang gave an example. For example, the patient's family members had experienced emotional hypersensitivity, which left a deep imprint on the patient's heart. The same situation will magnify this worry, thereby increasing the pressure.
On the other hand, many people who have been neglected since childhood, in order to seek self-protection and more attention, as long as they have a little allergic symptoms, this allergic reaction will be infinitely amplified.
"When allergic symptoms occur, the patient should go to the allergy department or dermatology department of the hospital as soon as possible to determine the allergen through various examinations. Or if there is no improvement in allergy treatment for more than a week, then it is necessary to consider that emotional allergies may be at work." Chen Qinggang reminded.
"Heart disease" also needs "heart medicine" doctor
It is often difficult to cure emotional allergies only by taking anti-allergic drugs, and "heart disease" also needs "heart medicine" doctors.
"If you have various skin discomforts for a certain period of time, it may be a reminder that you have a problem with your emotions and you need to adjust in time. By improving sleep, adjusting your psychological state and other measures, most emotional allergy symptoms can be improved." Chen Qinggang introduced, In order to overcome emotional allergies, you should pay attention to exercising your psychological endurance in daily life, and cultivate the ability to perceive and control your own negative emotions, especially for patients who have experienced emotional allergies.
Chen Qinggang suggested that patients can reflect on a regular basis and stay away from things that will adversely affect them as much as possible.
When there is a problem, don’t run away, let alone be extreme; at the same time, actively try to solve it, and reflect on it to prevent the same problem from recurring.
Patients with emotional allergies should also strengthen physical exercise, improve immunity, and stay away from allergens.
At the same time, you should try to keep yourself in a relaxed and pleasant living environment.
When treating emotional hypersensitivity, patients should not be too nervous and anxious.
"If you carry out treatment with anxiety and other negative emotions, not only the effect will not be good, but it will also aggravate the condition. If you are in a good mood, the effect of the treatment will be very obvious, and you will even recover quickly." Chen Qinggang said.
In terms of psychotherapy, psychiatrists will use persuasion, enlightenment, or suggestive and hypnotherapy.
"When necessary, we will give patients some drugs to treat emotional disorders, and allergy symptoms will disappear soon." Chen Qinggang said.
Further reading
About 1/3 of patients' illness is closely related to psychological factors
Psychology believes that unpleasant emotions such as tension, anxiety, anger, depression, sadness, pain, etc. are negative emotions that affect people's health by affecting body systems such as breathing, blood, and nerves.
Clinically, somatic diseases caused by negative emotions are called somatization disorders.
"Somatization disorder is a mental disease, with physical discomfort as the prominent manifestation. Therefore, patients will go to major general hospitals for repeated examinations, but it is difficult to find organic problems consistent with somatic symptoms, but patients often resist. Explore your own psychological factors." said Chen Qinggang, chief physician of the Clinical Psychology Department of Tianjin Anding Hospital.
Domestic data show that among the newly diagnosed patients in general hospitals, nearly 1/3 of the patients suffer from physical diseases closely related to psychological factors.
In general, the digestive system is considered the organ most affected by emotions, such as stress ulcers in the digestive tract.
Under strong emotional stimulation, the body will experience symptoms such as vomiting, bloating, stomach pain and diarrhea.
However, through gastroscopy, the patient has no organic lesions; long-term psychological depression, anxiety and displeasure will affect the body's immune system, resulting in low or abnormally hyperactive immunity. Low immunity is manifested as easy colds, fever, Abnormal hyperactivity of immunity is manifested as easy allergies, rashes, asthma and so on.
Chen Qinggang suggested that if there is a problem with the body, it is recommended to go to the corresponding specialist for various examinations, first to rule out the possibility of organic lesions.
If no abnormality is found but symptoms persist, it is recommended to go to the psychiatric department of the psychiatric hospital for treatment, and the psychiatrist will make a judgment and take corresponding treatment measures.
At the same time, when dealing with such patients, family members should give full understanding, affirm that the patient's physical discomfort is real, and pay attention to the patient's emotional expression.