Can avoiding certain foods relieve allergy symptoms? Can applying pepper water cure allergic dermatitis? These anti-allergy tips are all "pitfalls"

Although the spring season, the peak season for allergies, has passed, some people with allergies still have a hard time even in the midsummer. Since allergens are numerous and varied, many people's allergies have little to do with the season. Unable to bear the pain of allergies, some of them choose to "seek medical advice" online, but the information they find is varied and difficult to distinguish between true and false.

In order to prevent people with allergies from falling into the anti-allergy "trap", Science and Technology Daily reporters have collected some rumors related to the treatment and prevention of allergies to help them clear the fog and find the truth.

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Allergies can be inherited, so can I apply my family’s medicine myself?

The truth: It needs to be diagnosed by a professional doctor and treated symptomatically

As we all know, allergies are hereditary, so many people will have similar allergic symptoms as their family members. At this time, some people will think that since the allergic symptoms are the same, applying the same ointment should be effective. Is this idea scientific?

In this regard, Wu Lingling, deputy chief physician of the Department of Dermatology at the Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that the treatment of allergic skin diseases is not "one size fits all". For example, family members who suffer from atopic dermatitis may have different manifestations. Some may present with acute eczema, with exudation of water from the skin and severe itching; others may present with chronic lichenification and hypertrophic rashes. When choosing topical medications, doctors will choose topical medications of different types, dosage forms, and concentrations based on the morphology, severity, and location of the rash, and cannot generalize.

"The use of medication in special parts such as the head and face, palms and soles of feet, and perineum is more special." Wu Lingling gave an example. For instance, you cannot apply hormone-containing ointments on the face for a long time, because the sebaceous glands of the facial hair follicles are relatively developed, which can easily cause follicular dermatosis, especially for patients who have used hormone-containing ointments for a long time or develop severe hormone-dependent dermatitis after stopping the medication.

"Therefore, the saying that 'you can apply your family's medicine yourself' is wrong." Wu Lingling reminded that if you develop allergic skin diseases, you need to go to a regular hospital and be diagnosed by a professional doctor and receive symptomatic treatment.

Can eating certain foods prevent allergies?

Fact: No food can directly prevent allergies

It is said online that eating more carrots, onions, enoki mushrooms, red dates, broccoli and other foods can prevent allergies, which seems to give "allergy sufferers" hope. However, Liu Ruiling, deputy chief physician of the Allergy Department of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, said that there is no food that can prevent allergies.

Liu Ruiling introduced that the most common food allergy belongs to type I allergic reaction, which is an immediate allergy. It is an allergic reaction mediated by IgE antibodies and involving multiple cytokines. There are two stages: sensitization and sensitization. For example, if someone is allergic to peaches, then after the person's immune cells come into contact with peaches, they will mark them as "enemies" and produce corresponding antibodies; antibodies bind to mast cells, turning normal mast cells into sensitized mast cells. When this person eats peaches again, the sensitized mast cells will rupture, and on the one hand, they will release their inherent components, such as histamine; on the other hand, they will synthesize new components, such as inflammatory mediators such as leukotrienes and prostaglandin D2, which will quickly lead to adverse reactions such as skin itching (or wheals), tears, sneezing, asthma, and even symptoms such as palpitations, breath holding, and decreased blood pressure, which can be life-threatening in severe cases.

Although the anti-allergic foods listed on the Internet are not harmful to your health, they cannot quickly and completely cut off the above process and therefore cannot prevent allergies.

"Vitamin C, vitamin D, anthocyanins, etc. may be helpful in preventing allergies, but the relevant effective evidence is very limited," said Liu Ruiling.

Can applying pepper water cure allergic dermatitis?

Fact: There is no evidence to prove its therapeutic efficacy

"Allergic dermatitis is a type of hypersensitivity disease, which is an inflammatory skin lesion caused by allergens stimulating the human body." Wu Lingling introduced that when this disease occurs, it will be accompanied by severe skin itching.

Among various folk remedies for relieving itching, pepper water is the most recognized, and many people even believe that pepper water can treat allergic dermatitis.

In this regard, Wu Lingling said that pepper extract, peppermint, has analgesic and insecticidal effects, and some skin care products and ointments also contain this ingredient. However, pepper water is not the same as purified peppermint, and there is currently no scientific evidence that pepper water can treat allergic dermatitis.

"In addition, we cannot control the concentration of the pepper water we cook at home, and we cannot remove impurities. Therefore, the boiled pepper water is likely to be very irritating. Applying it on skin with exudation may aggravate the condition." Wu Lingling reminded that especially in the acute development stage of skin diseases, some people like to use hot pepper water to burn the affected area, which will make the inflammatory reaction more intense.

"Allergic dermatitis is mainly caused by damaged skin barrier function. Therefore, you can apply some lotions with barrier repair effects to promote skin repair, which can block external allergens or some sources of infection from entering the skin." Wu Lingling added that if there is exudation on the skin, you need to seek medical attention in time. The doctor will choose to use topical medications or oral antiallergic drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs, etc. according to the area and severity of the rash.

Can calamine lotion cure skin allergies?

The truth: It mainly plays a physical protective role

Calamine lotion is a very common topical skin medication. The World Health Organization has also included calamine lotion in the list of essential medicines for children, and recommends it as a safe drug for infants and young children to use first. At the same time, calamine lotion is affordable and easy to use, so it is very popular and has become a "universal skin medicine" for many families.

Wu Lingling introduced that calamine lotion is an oscillating agent, mainly composed of calamine, zinc oxide, glycerin and water. Among them, calamine is a mineral drug, mainly containing natural zinc carbonate that is insoluble in water, which can partially absorb wound secretions and has astringent and protective effects; zinc oxide has anti-inflammatory, drying, adsorption, protection and weak astringent effects; glycerin has a strong hygroscopic effect.

"Patients with allergic dermatitis can use calamine lotion to relieve itching, reduce inflammation, reduce swelling, and isolate allergens. However, applying calamine lotion is more of a physical protective effect, mainly to improve symptoms. It can treat the symptoms but not necessarily the root cause." Wu Lingling said that the treatment of allergic dermatitis also requires the right medicine for the right condition, and targeted topical medications should be selected according to the area and severity of the rash.

Can avoiding certain foods relieve allergy symptoms?

The truth: It is important to identify allergens rather than blindly avoid them

There is a rumor on the Internet that when allergy symptoms occur, the first thing to do is to avoid eating seafood, tropical fruits, eggs, milk, nuts, and legumes. So, is this statement correct?

"After allergic symptoms appear, the first thing to do is to identify the allergens rather than blindly abstaining from food. It is true that if allergies are caused by eating certain foods, then you need to abstain from food, but you must avoid the foods that cause allergies." Liu Ruiling introduced that there are many types of foods that cause allergies, far more than the types listed in rumors, such as celery, tomatoes, peaches, cherries, apples and other vegetables and fruits, which can also cause human allergies.

Liu Ruiling suggested that people with allergies should be careful not to "provoke" allergens and strictly avoid allergenic foods, including processed foods containing allergens. "Before buying processed foods, everyone must carefully read the ingredient list. At present, most food packaging will be marked with food ingredients that may cause allergies, and even indicate that the food production line has processed peanuts and other foods that are prone to allergies." She reminded.

Should I apply salt water compress first after skin allergy?

The truth: Incorrect concentration will aggravate the condition

The method of using saline compresses on the face after facial skin allergies has been widely circulated on social platforms. In this regard, Wu Lingling said that washing the face or applying a saline compress can indeed have a certain calming effect. However, the effect of this method varies from person to person. When using it, you must pay attention to the concentration, temperature, time and frequency of the saline compress, otherwise it will be counterproductive.

"The saline solution should be 0.9% medical saline, which is closest to the concentration of human body fluids." Wu Lingling introduced that if the concentration of self-prepared saline is too high, it will take away the water in the cells, thereby aggravating the allergic symptoms; if the concentration of the saline is too low, it will cause hypotonicity, and frequent wet compresses will cause over-hydration of the skin, which will aggravate the damage to the skin barrier.

Wu Lingling reminded that the saline compress should not be used for too long, no more than twice a day, and no more than 20 minutes each time. If the symptoms are not relieved, you need to go to the hospital for medical treatment in time.

Reporter: Chen Xi

Source: Science and Technology Daily