What to do if you are allergic to pollen in spring? Experts teach you how to prevent and treat it

In March, the grass grows and the birds fly. Everything starts to grow, and plant pollen begins to float. The "allergy season" that makes many people uncomfortable also comes. "It's okay if I don't go out of the house, but once I go out, I can't breathe and can't go to work." "I have hives all over my body, my eyes are so red and swollen that I can't open them, and the most uncomfortable thing is that my nose is blocked and I can hardly breathe." These experiences make many allergy patients miserable.

"Spring pollen, catkins, etc. are allergens that easily cause seasonal allergies. Among them, pollen allergy is more typical. It is not only prevalent in spring but also in autumn. As the pollen concentration increases, a typical attack process occurs." Ren Huali, deputy director of the Allergy Department of Beijing Electric Power Hospital, explained.

Pollen allergy has five major characteristics

According to Ren Huali, pollen allergy has the following five characteristics:

Seasonal, self-healing without medication after the season;

It is recurrent and occurs every year, which can be described as an "incurable disease";

Rapid-onset, coming and going quickly, with acute onset and immediate improvement upon leaving the place of residence;

Effectiveness: the medication is effective and has immediate results;

It is familial, and there is often a family history of allergies. Common spring and autumn pollen allergies coincide with the peak pollen concentration in the atmosphere.

Pollen allergy should be diagnosed and treated early

Wang Xueyan, director of the Department of Allergy at Beijing Century Memorial Hospital, said that for patients allergic to pollen, the most important thing is early detection, early diagnosis, early treatment and early prevention.

"In the past, when dealing with patients with pollen allergies, the main way to control the disease was through medication during the onset period. In severe cases, oral or injected hormones were needed to relieve symptoms, which only treated the symptoms and not the root cause. In recent years, there have been new diagnosis and treatment methods for allergic diseases. Patients with allergic symptoms must first determine the cause and undergo allergen testing," said Wang Xueyan.

Wang Xueyan introduced that in the acute phase, symptomatic treatment is carried out with medication, and when the symptoms reach the stage of relief, specific immunotherapy is required, that is, after identifying the patient's allergens, the corresponding antigens are injected for desensitization.

"This is a two to three-year treatment process. As long as you stick to it, 70% to 80% of patients' conditions will be effectively controlled. Generally, they will no longer suffer from the disease or their symptoms will be alleviated and their medication will be reduced. At the same time, it can also reduce the proportion of allergic rhinitis developing into asthma." Wang Xueyan emphasized.

"For doctors, when conducting allergy allergen tests, only by fully understanding the types of pollen in the season and combining them with the patient's onset time and symptoms can they accurately determine the items that need to be tested," said Wang Xueyan.

Patients should pay attention to the difference between hay fever and cold symptoms

Ren Huali emphasized that spring pollen allergies are prominently manifested as sneezing, runny nose, and coughing, and the above symptoms are similar to those of the common cold and flu. Spring is also the peak season for colds and flu, so we must pay attention to the difference.

Wang Xueyan also said that because symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing are similar to those of a cold, some patients mistake pollen allergies for colds and misuse or abuse antibiotics for anti-inflammatory treatment. In fact, pollen allergies have obvious seasonality and timeliness, lasting for at least three weeks, without fever or systemic poisoning. "If a certain symptom recurs regularly, you should pay close attention to whether you are allergic."

Ren Huali explained that the three have different causes. Pollen allergy is an immune response disease, that is, the body mistakenly regards "pollen" as an abnormal substance, resulting in a series of oversensitive reactions. This is related to genetic factors, but it is not contagious. Common colds and influenza are caused by viral infections and are contagious.

"In addition, the symptoms of the three are also different." Ren Huali said that pollen allergy may be accompanied by itchy eyes, itchy throat, severe wheezing, etc. in addition to sneezing, runny nose and coughing, leading to seasonal allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, pharyngitis, etc. Colds and flu, in addition to respiratory symptoms, often also have fever, headache, general discomfort and other symptoms. Among them, the discomfort of flu is more intense.

Patients need to take precautions and take medication one or two weeks in advance

Wang Xueyan reminded that pollen allergy patients generally take protective measures such as wearing masks and protective glasses one to two weeks in advance, and take symptomatic medication in time to avoid acute allergic symptoms. In addition, pollen allergy patients should know the types of pollen they are allergic to and the time of year when these pollens are popular, so as to better prevent them in advance.

"As far as seasonal allergies are concerned, measures such as going out less and wearing masks will reduce contact with allergens to a certain extent. However, when the home is ventilated, allergens such as pollen may take advantage of the opportunity to enter and induce allergies." Qin He, deputy chief physician of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital, suggested that patients who have had allergies in previous years and have been diagnosed are often mentally prepared and always have corresponding medicines at home. According to past experience, they can take corresponding anti-allergic drugs first when corresponding clinical symptoms appear.

Qin He specifically suggested that spring pollen allergies can be prevented by taking anti-allergic drugs 1-2 weeks before the allergy season. If the symptoms such as cough and runny nose are mild, you can take symptomatic medication and observe for 3-5 days. If the discomfort symptoms are not effectively relieved or aggravated after taking the medicine, it is recommended to protect yourself and seek medical attention as soon as possible. Severe patients are advised to seek medical attention immediately. In addition to medication, you can also use physiological saline to clean the nasal cavity to prevent and slow down the occurrence of allergic rhinitis symptoms.

"For seasonal allergies, especially pollen allergies, timely medication is very important. On the one hand, it can control symptoms such as itchy nose, sneezing, and runny nose to avoid affecting the quality of life; on the other hand, it can avoid other more serious complications such as pharyngitis, tracheitis, sinusitis, and otitis media." Ren Huali suggested that patients with hay fever should wear pollen glasses in addition to wearing masks when going out, close car windows when driving, change clothes, take a bath, and wash their hair in time after returning home to reduce pollen inhalation, close doors and windows, and turn on air purifiers indoors.