Flowers no longer have to take the blame, as they are actually the culprit for spring pollen allergies!

Sneezing, stuffy nose, rash... Do you have these allergy symptoms? The editor has sorted out several allergic diseases that are easy to cause in spring and how to prevent them. I hope you will benefit from it.

Compiled by New Media Editor Li Yunfeng

Spring is here, the weather is getting warmer, and flowers are blooming. It is the season to go out and enjoy the flowers. It is a good time to have fun, but some people are forced to stay at home and hate this "damn" spring. Why is this? It turns out that this is because spring is prone to various allergic symptoms, and they are the victims. So what are the causes of spring allergies? How can we prevent them?

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What is pollen allergy?

Data shows that the prevalence of pollen allergy has reached about 5% to 10% worldwide, which is the most common cause of allergies in spring and has now become a real epidemic disease. In Beijing, allergies are mostly caused from March to June.

So why do pollen allergies occur? Pollen is generally about 30 to 50 microns in diameter and is very light. When it floats in the air, it is very easy to be inhaled into the respiratory tract. When the oil and polysaccharide substances contained in pollen are inhaled, the immune system of the pollen allergy sufferer will secrete histamine to fight against the pollen, causing an allergic reaction. This antibody meets the invading pollen and accumulates in large quantities, causing skin allergies.

(Photo source: "Life Times" WeChat public account)

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Are flowers the culprit for pollen allergies?

People who are allergic to pollen are terrified of flowers. They stay away from flowers every time they see them, and there is no trace of flowers in their homes. However, even so, they still cannot escape the clutches of pollen allergies. In spring, they still cry and have snotty noses and are miserable. What's going on?

Before explaining this problem, let's take a look at a group of pictures. Which flower do you think is the culprit of pollen allergies?

(Photo source: WeChat official account of "West China Hospital of Sichuan University")

I believe that most people would choose A or B. I also chose this at the beginning. Because it is called pollen allergy, we would naturally think that flowers with a lot of pollen would cause allergies. In fact, the correct answer is C (cypress) and D (Humulus). Many friends may ask, these plants basically have no pollen, how can they cause allergies?

Dr. Meng Juan from the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at West China Hospital of Sichuan University explained this to us. In nature, plants are divided into two categories: wind-pollinated flowers and insect-pollinated flowers according to the different ways of pollination. The flowers that cause spring allergies are mainly wind-pollinated flowers.

Wind-pollinated flowers

"Wind-pollinated flowers", as the name suggests, are flowers that use wind as a pollination medium. These flowers are generally small in shape and dull in color, and many are even in a degraded state, with neither fragrance nor nectar glands, so you can't see or smell them as flowers.

▲Ginkgo tree at Hongluo Temple in Beijing (Photo source: Visual China)

However, wind-pollinated flowers produce a particularly large amount of pollen, which has a smooth surface, is dry and light in texture, and can fly very high and far when blown by the wind.

Representatives of this type of flowers include: poplars, elms, cypresses, birches, ginkgo trees, sycamore trees, etc., which bloom most in spring and can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys. (Note: The catkins that often appear on the streets of Beijing and cause people to be allergic are not mentioned here. This is because catkins are seeds of willow trees, not pollen. This is a bit off topic. In fact, I just want to popularize this little knowledge for everyone, hehe!)

Insect-pollinated flowers

"Insect-pollinated flowers" are relatively easy to understand. They are flowers that rely on insects such as butterflies and bees to spread pollination. Most of these flowers are bright and beautiful, with fragrance or other smells. The pollen grains are usually large and the yield is relatively small. In addition, they are often stuck together and are not easily blown away by the wind, let alone blown high!

▲The roses in full bloom in Beijing beautify the Temple of Heaven (Photo source: Visual China)

Peach blossoms, loofah flowers, cucumber flowers, rape flowers, peonies, roses, rose flowers, strawberries, pear blossoms, apples, pomegranates, etc. are all insect-pollinated flowers.

So in comparison, those trees and weeds that have no fragrance, color, taste, and even don't look like they will bloom, are the main culprits of human allergies because of their large pollen production + their easy being blown high and far by the wind.

Meng Juan said that according to current research, it is very rare for humans to be allergic to flowers, that is, insect-pollinated flowers. Unless you have close contact with them, such as smelling or touching them, and you actually have allergic symptoms, for most people, these words have no effect on health. (Have the fairies who are allergic to pollen read this? Forward this article to your boyfriend quickly! If he refuses to give you flowers because you are allergic to pollen, you should consider his sincerity!)

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How to prevent pollen allergies

Regarding how to prevent pollen allergies, Bai Aihua, a doctor in infectious diseases at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, once wrote:

1. People who are allergic to pollen or have a history of other allergies, such as allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, urticaria or allergic dermatitis, should avoid places with many flowers and plants as much as possible, and do not smell flowers and plants casually. Do not open windows for ventilation at home or close them in time after opening them for a short time. It is best to wear a mask, scarf and long-sleeved clothes when going out, and try to avoid direct contact with pollen. Bring anti-allergic drugs prescribed by a doctor. If you experience itchy skin, fever, cough, or shortness of breath, you should leave the place quickly. Once asthma symptoms appear, you should go to the hospital for treatment in time.

(Photo courtesy: Li Yunfeng)

2. Immunotherapy can be used when necessary. The principle of immunotherapy is to inject the pollen extract to which the patient is sensitive into the patient's body in increasing doses from small to large amounts (the most commonly used immunotherapy with the best effect is subcutaneous injection), so that immunological changes occur in the patient's body, which is beneficial to improving the patient's immunity to the pollen. Many years of observation at home and abroad have confirmed that if the allergen is of high quality, properly applied, the case selection is appropriate, and the method is correct, the effect is quite good.

3. Those with a history of allergies need to take medication one to two weeks in advance. Attention should be paid before the flowering season, and treatment should not be started until the disease occurs. Many anti-allergic drugs not only have therapeutic effects, but also preventive effects. Therefore, at the beginning of spring, those with a history of allergies can start taking anti-allergic drugs one to two weeks in advance.

4. The diet should be light, with a combination of coarse and fine foods. Eat less stimulating and spicy foods. Eat more green vegetables and a small amount of plant protein. Because spicy foods can dilate blood vessels, redden the skin, and aggravate pollen allergies. High-protein diets aggravate pollen allergies. In addition, studies have shown that when the human body consumes more high-protein, high-calorie foods such as eggs and meat products, the body's ability to produce antibodies is hyperactive, so when encountering antigens such as pollen, it is more likely to have an allergic reaction. You can drink yogurt. Lactic acid bacteria can enhance the body's resistance and relieve allergic symptoms to a certain extent. People with pollen allergies should drink yogurt every day. Reduce or stop smoking.

In view of the high incidence of pollen allergies, Beijing Tongren Hospital and the meteorological department have cooperated to monitor pollen concentrations. Friends who are allergic to pollen can log in to the "Pollen Health Treasure" applet to decide their travel plans. Click on the area you want to query to display the level of pollen concentration, which is very convenient.

▲Pollen concentration forecast (Image source: Screenshot of the "Pollen Health Treasure" applet on mobile phone)

Wang Lianglu, executive deputy director of the Department of Allergy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, said during a live broadcast that there is an eye drop called sodium cromoglycate, which has a good preventive and therapeutic effect on immediate allergic reactions. Its mechanism of action is to stabilize the cell membrane of mast cells, thereby inhibiting the release of allergic reaction mediators. It is best to start eye drops at least two weeks before the onset of the disease. If you are unfortunately suffering from pollen allergies, it is best to go to the hospital for treatment, and choose the allergy department.

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(Source: Healthy China, Life Times, Science Popularization China, WeChat official account of "West China Hospital of Sichuan University", WeChat official account of "Beijing Jishuitan Hospital", etc.)

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Produced by: Beijing Science and Technology News | Beijing Science and Technology Media

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