World Allergy Day丨Bad mood can also cause allergies? Beware of the "number one disease" in dermatology

Today is World Allergy Day

Allergic disease is an immune disease that can affect multiple systems throughout the body.

Allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, allergic conjunctivitis, etc.

Allergic disease manifestations

According to statistics

According to statistics from the World Allergy Organization

The global prevalence of allergic diseases is as high as 22%.

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In our country

The number of patients with allergic rhinitis has exceeded 100 million

Nearly 30 million people suffer from asthma

World Health Organization

Allergic diseases have been listed as

One of the three major diseases that need to be studied and prevented in the 21st century

Why do I get allergies?

Allergy is related to immune status

When patients with allergic constitution first come into contact with an allergen, their bodies become sensitized and produce an antibody called IgE. This antibody binds to the body's immune cells, and when they come into contact with the allergen again, the body will "overreact".

The occurrence of allergies is related to the patient's immune status, and is more likely to occur when the immune status is low due to overwork, mental stress, etc. When an allergy occurs, the balance between immune cells in the body is broken, and the immunity also decreases, forming a vicious cycle. Therefore, a good physique is beneficial and harmless to allergy patients.

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What are the common allergens?

Be careful with these people

First, we need to consider whether there are genetic factors. Allergies are related to genetic factors and may be a complex multi-gene genetic disease with a clear family inheritance tendency. When both parents have allergies, the incidence rate of the child is as high as 75%; when only one parent has allergies, the incidence rate can also be as high as 50%. The mother's influence on the children is greater than the father's.

01 Inhaled Allergens

In addition, allergies are related to environmental factors. Pollen is an important inhaled allergen and one of the causes of allergies. Differences in geography and climate lead to the diversity of flowering periods in different regions of China. The peak distribution of pollen in the air occurs in spring (March and April) and autumn (August to October), and the types of plants are also different. For example, in the north, the main pollen in spring is elm, poplar, and willow, while in autumn it is mainly pollen from the grass family, artemisia, humulus, ragweed, and Chenopodiaceae.

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In recent years, air pollutants have also been shown to be associated with allergic diseases. First, it may enhance the production of IgE-stimulated B lymphocytes, and second, it may increase the levels of some pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Inhaled allergens also include dust, insect mites, animal dander, fumes and various spices.

02 Ingestion allergens

In addition, nutrition and intestinal flora may be related to allergies. The role of nutrition in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis is to induce epigenetic changes in patients. On the other hand, epidemiological studies have shown that insufficient early microbial exposure is associated with an increased risk of allergies in children.

Specifically including fish, shrimp, foreign proteins, dairy products, soy products, chicken, duck, beef and mutton, etc.

03 Contact Allergens

Such as hair dye, paint, cold air, hot air, ultraviolet rays, detergent, etc.

Studies have shown that people can be allergic to substances as well as emotions. Is this true?

Can a sudden increase in stress lead to allergic symptoms? Can excessive mental stress cause "overnight gray hair"?

Ge Lan, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of the Southwest Hospital of the Army Medical University, said that there are many causes of skin allergies, and the most common causes are food, drugs, and contact with allergens. In addition, drastic changes in emotions can also cause "allergies." For example, negative emotions such as tension and stress may cause people to have skin allergy symptoms such as rashes and itching.

Why does a sudden increase in stress lead to allergic symptoms? The human body is a highly sophisticated entity. When it is stimulated by something and causes emotional fluctuations such as impatience, excitement, anxiety and depression, it will cause dysfunction of the nervous, endocrine and immune systems, thereby irritating the skin and causing adverse reactions such as papules, rashes and itching.

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The most extreme example of emotional allergy is "white hair overnight" caused by excessive mental stress. Drastic emotional changes can lead to neuroendocrine and immune system dysfunction, strengthen oxidative stress response, and promote the release of a large number of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In some genetically susceptible individuals, melanocytes will be affected by these cytokines, causing damage or premature apoptosis, which will cause black hair to turn white.

If emotions trigger allergies, patients can relax, reflect regularly, and stay away from things that will have a negative impact on themselves as much as possible. At the same time, they should actively find ways to solve the problem and reflect on it to prevent the same problem from happening again. If necessary, they can seek help from a psychologist.

Keep away from allergies from the little things

Reduce exposure to allergens

Indoor allergens include house dust mites, animal allergens, cockroach allergens and fungi. Indoor carpets, air conditioners or humidifiers will become ideal habitats for dust mites, cockroaches and other insects, and also become breeding grounds for bacteria and mold.

Therefore, sheets, blankets and blankets should be washed in hot water every week, dried in a dryer or exposed to the sun for disinfection before reuse. Reduce indoor humidity, clean all wet areas frequently, pay attention to ventilation, keep dry, and avoid mold growth.

Nowadays, more and more families keep pets, especially small animals with feathers and fur, whose hair can be easily inhaled and become allergens that trigger asthma. Therefore, try not to keep these small animals. Even if you want to keep them, keep them away from the bedroom area and bathe them frequently to keep them clean.

The most common outdoor allergen is pollen. Pollen allergens mainly come from trees, grass and weeds. During the peak pollen season, you should stay indoors with doors and windows closed. If you cannot avoid it, you can apply pollen blockers to your nasal cavity or wear a mask in advance.

Preventing respiratory infections

Epidemiological evidence confirms that acute respiratory viral infections can trigger acute exacerbations of asthma in adults and children.

Maintaining a reasonable schedule, exercising appropriately, and taking good warming measures when it is cold or when seasons change can prevent respiratory infections and effectively reduce the occurrence of asthma.

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Eat right and exercise regularly

Try not to eat spicy food in your daily diet. Long-term and frequent consumption of such food will damage the pharyngeal mucosa, making it easy to get infected or inflamed, thus triggering asthma. Therefore, your daily diet should be light and reasonably matched with high-quality protein.

Do some physical exercise appropriately, but don't do it too intensely or excessively to avoid triggering asthma attacks. Mainly do aerobic exercise such as jogging and swimming. Studies have shown that swimming can reduce the incidence of asthma, so swimming is often the first choice. Gradually increase the amount of exercise to strengthen your physical fitness, reduce respiratory infections, and thus prevent asthma attacks.

Don't ignore these little things.

The smoke from burning cigarettes is particularly easy to irritate the respiratory mucosa. The irritation of cigarette smoke can not only trigger asthma, but also lead to the occurrence of refractory asthma.

Asthma patients and their family members should avoid smoking. For children, passive smoking increases the incidence of lower respiratory tract diseases. Whether during pregnancy, infancy or childhood, smoking by mothers or family members increases the incidence of asthma and wheezing symptoms in children.

Paint or odor irritation in a newly renovated house may trigger asthma, so be sure to pay attention to ventilation and wait for the paint and other odors to dissipate before moving in.

Comprehensive sources: Xinhuanet, Healthy China, CCTV.com, etc.