What causes allergic rhinitis? Will long-term treatment really make people stupid?

Do you have allergic rhinitis? Have you noticed that more and more people around you are suffering from rhinitis? What causes allergic rhinitis ? Itchy nose, constant sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion... Moreover, its prevalence is on a clear upward trend...

The number of patients with allergic rhinitis has increased significantly!

According to the "Chinese Allergic Rhinitis Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines" completed and published in the journal "Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Research" by Professor Zhang Luo of Tongren Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in 2018, it is estimated that there are more than 1 billion patients with allergic rhinitis worldwide. In the previous 6 years, the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in my country increased from 11.1% to 17.6%, and the number of patients increased by 100 million.

Allergic rhinitis is not only annoying in itself, but also can cause other diseases. The "Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis in China" points out that long-term allergic rhinitis is the source of chronic diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and diabetes.

But the harm that you may not expect is that allergic rhinitis can make people stupid!

Qingbitang : What causes allergic rhinitis?

Allergic rhinitis is the most common chronic and intractable disease in rhinology. New research has found that allergic rhinitis may also make people stupid.

1. Impairment of children’s cognitive function and slowing down of reaction

A study published in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology in July 2020 investigated the impact of pollen season on cognitive function in children with allergies. The researchers pointed out that children with pollen allergies have impaired cognitive function during the pollen season, and the more symptoms they have, the longer it takes to respond to cognitive tests.

2. Cause people to have emotional and behavioral problems such as anxiety

In addition to affecting cognitive function, allergic rhinitis can also have adverse effects on social, mental and psychological state. Studies have shown that nasal symptoms are significantly correlated with anxiety, emotional and behavioral problems.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in 2010 showed that patients with allergic rhinitis had decreased health in all areas. At the same time, although there were no significant differences in personality traits, patients tended to develop anxiety.

3. Impairment of sleep, activities, daily work and life

A study published in the Journal of Rhinal Allergy in 2014 found that among patients with allergic rhinitis, 86.9% had impairment in sleep, 84.9% had impairment in work and life, 81% had impairment in social activities, and 90.1% had impairment in physical activity.

What causes allergic rhinitis? Is rhinitis incurable? 6 common misunderstandings to know!

At present, most people have three deficiencies in the treatment of various types of rhinitis, namely, insufficient prevention, insufficient cognition, and insufficient awareness of treatment. They regard rhinitis as a minor illness and choose medicine for treatment without authorization, thus falling into misunderstandings and aggravating the condition.

Myth 1: Rhinitis is a minor illness and does not require medication.

Misconception 2: Not finding out the cause of nasal congestion and abusing medication to treat rhinitis as a cold.

Myth 3: Long-term use of nasal drops can cause dependence and lead to drug-induced rhinitis.

Misconception 4: Misuse of antibiotics, thinking that rhinitis is just inflammation of the nasal cavity and that anti-inflammatory treatment will do the trick.

Misconception 5: Using medication based on other people’s experience and blindly using medication based on self-diagnosis.

Misconception 6: Stopping medication without authorization as soon as the condition improves can easily cause recurrent rhinitis.

Qingbitang: What are the methods to improve allergic rhinitis?

Environmental Control

What causes allergic rhinitis? Avoiding contact with allergens is the first priority. If allergens cannot be completely avoided, drug treatment and immunotherapy are very necessary.