I have a cough and a stuffy nose at night. The nasty spring allergies are coming again. What should I do?

Several friends told Huazi that they did not have a cold, but they had coughs and nasal congestion, which worsened at night and improved during the day. What was going on and what should they do?

Hua Zi said that these symptoms are common to many people in spring. The reason is that everything comes back to life in spring, and many plants will spread particles and pollen, causing seasonal allergies. The main symptoms are nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes, and dizziness. Some people also have symptoms of coughing or asthma. The treatment method is mainly to take personal protection and carry out symptomatic treatment.

Why are allergy symptoms more severe at night?

Allergic reactions are a form of "over-protection" by the human body. The human immune system will distinguish substances that do not belong to the human body, and if it is considered "harmful", it will mobilize immune cells to attack them. Some people's immune systems overreact and attack some harmless particles, and at the same time cause accidental damage to their own tissues, which will cause allergic symptoms.

The glucocorticoids secreted by the human body have an inhibitory effect on immune cells, so they can inhibit allergic reactions. However, the secretion pattern of glucocorticoids in the human body is that it increases during the day and decreases at night, so allergic symptoms will change with the level of glucocorticoids, and will be alleviated during the day and aggravated at night.

2. Glucocorticoids should be used with caution

Supplementing exogenous glucocorticoids (such as prednisone, dexamethasone, etc.) can alleviate allergic symptoms. However, long-term and large-scale use of glucocorticoids can cause adverse reactions such as glucose and lipid metabolism disorders, aggravated infection, obesity, gastrointestinal ulcers, femoral head necrosis, and mental disorders, so caution is required when using glucocorticoids.

It should be noted that glucocorticoids can produce systemic effects after oral administration and have many adverse reactions. If there are no severe systemic allergic symptoms, oral glucocorticoids are not recommended.

You can use local medications. For example, if you have skin allergies, you can use topical formulations; if you have allergic asthma, you can use inhalation formulations; if you have severe nasal congestion, you can use aerosol sprays; if you have itchy eyes, you can use eye drops. Use local medications to avoid systemic adverse reactions.

3. You can use anti-allergic drugs

Allergic reactions are mainly caused by allergic mediators such as histamine and leukotrienes released by mast cells. Therefore, anti-histamine drugs such as chlorpheniramine, cetirizine, loratadine, and anti-leukotrienes such as montelukast can be used to treat allergic symptoms.

It should be noted that anti-allergic drugs can only prevent the production of new allergic mediators, but have no effect on allergic mediators that have already been released. Therefore, after taking the medicine, it will not produce the effect of "the medicine will cure the disease immediately". It requires the body to consume all the original allergic mediators before it can work.

For people with seasonal allergies, the best time to use anti-allergic drugs is one week before allergic symptoms begin, and continue using the drugs until two weeks after the allergy season ends. It is too late to wait until symptoms appear to use the drugs.

4. Pay attention to self-protection

The best way to treat allergic diseases is to isolate allergens. However, there are many particles that can cause allergic reactions. Even if you go to the hospital for an allergen test, you may not be able to find all the allergens. People with allergic symptoms should pay attention to self-protection.

Eat well and eat well. Balanced nutrition can maintain the integrity of the skin and mucous membranes and reduce the invasion of allergens. Exercise more to improve physical fitness, which can also alleviate allergy symptoms. When going out, wear a better protective mask and goggles. When you go home, wash your hands, face, hair, and coat in time to reduce contact with allergens.

In summary, many people are prone to allergic symptoms in spring. Allergic symptoms can be alleviated by the rational use of glucocorticoids and anti-allergic drugs, and self-protection should also be taken. Drugs must be used under the guidance of a doctor. If you have any questions about medication, please consult a doctor and pharmacist. I am pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.