You avoid flowers on your way, and even cough non-stop near the office photocopier. Not to mention the delicious food on other people's desks. You can't understand why your body goes against your will.
"Allergy" originated from the Greek word meaning "abnormal reaction". Modern medicine believes that it is caused by the immune system mistakenly treating harmless substances as dangerous invaders, and overreacting to them.
Statistics show that 1/3 of people experience allergic symptoms. Allergy is now the sixth most common chronic disease in the United States. Although you can endure it without treatment, the symptoms will become worse over time. It may even lead to sinusitis, otitis media, bronchial asthma, and other diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to seek medical attention for allergies. However, the contradiction is that antihistamines not only make people drowsy and tired but also bring problems such as weight gain, infection, pigmentation, and even damage to the liver and kidneys. Moreover, once you stop taking them, the allergy symptoms often recur or worsen. Therefore, the World Health Organization points out that prevention is the key to deal with allergies, and we need to learn to isolate allergens.
Allergen search: Doctors can determine whether you have allergies and what you are allergic to based on your allergy history and a series of professional skin tests. Here are the most common allergens and the preventive measures we can take.
Allergen #1—Dust Mites
Allergic symptoms: Rhinitis and asthma
Cause: Dust mites excrete fine dust particles that attach to sheets, pillows, carpets, or curtains. When inhaled into the nasal cavity, it easily causes rhinitis, and when inhaled into the lungs, it can trigger asthma attacks.
Preventive measures:
A: Use mattress covers and wash bed sheets and pillowcases at least every two weeks. Wash with water at a temperature of above 60 degrees Celsius to kill dust mites.
B: Avoid using carpets or replace wool carpets with polyethylene carpets.
C: Store excess clothing, fur toys, and woolen fabrics in storage cabinets.
D: Use blinds or roller blinds instead of fabric curtains.
E: Avoid using stuffed furniture, and it is best to keep books in bookcases with doors.
F: Reduce hanging decorations that accumulate dust.
G: Keep indoor air flowing and use air conditioners with dehumidification function and negative ion or plasma sterilization function.
Allergen #2—Pollen, Cottonwood Seeds, Grass Seeds, etc.
Allergic symptoms: Sneezing, runny nose, teary eyes, and even chest tightness and asthma
Cause: Pollen, cottonwood seeds, grass seeds, etc. enter through every opening. Once they come into contact with the nasal cavity or throat walls, they irritate the mucous membrane and cause allergies.
Preventive measures:
A: Go out during the time of the day when pollen count is the lowest, such as early morning, late night, or after rainfall. Try to avoid going out during the evening when pollen count is highest.
B: Wear a mask and glasses with lenses (do not wear contact lenses) when going out during pollen season. Close windows when driving or indoors, especially close the windows of the bedroom before sleeping to prevent pollen from drifting into the room. Allergic symptoms are most severe at night.
C: Avoid hanging clothes outside during pollen season to prevent pollen from attaching to clothes.
D: If you go out during high pollen count, change into clean clothes when you come back and wash your hair or wipe it with a damp towel.
E: Install an air filter in your car. If you are planning to buy a new car, consider buying a car with air conditioning equipment that already has a pollen filtration device.
Allergen #3—Mold
Allergic symptoms: Itchy respiratory tract, difficulty breathing
Cause: Mold easily grows in warm and humid environments, such as kitchens and bathrooms. Some molds release thousands of extremely tiny spores, which can cause allergic reactions in the respiratory mucosa, resulting in itchy respiratory tract or difficulty breathing.
Preventive measures:
A: Do not place too many flowers and plants indoors, and do not overwater potted plants, as moist soil is an ideal environment for mold growth.
B: Monitor indoor temperature and humidity, maintain the room temperature at 25-27 degrees Celsius, and humidity at 40%-50%.
C: Wipe the kitchen and bathroom with diluted bleach, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then wipe it clean with water.
D: Keep the room well-ventilated.
Allergen #4—Pets
Allergic symptoms: Cough, wheezing, and rhinitis
Cause: Pet fur, dander, etc. can attach to indoor items. When you move around, they take the opportunity to float in the air and enter your throat, causing mucosal allergy. In addition, after the saliva of pets dries, the potential allergens in it can also be released.
Preventive measures:
A: Before getting a pet, spend some time with other people's pets to determine if you are allergic to them. Since the chances of cats causing allergies are twice that of dogs, it is even more important to spend time with them in advance.
B: Groom your pets regularly (preferably outdoors) and bathe them at least once every two weeks to remove allergens as much as possible. Also, don't forget to clean the pet's bed.
C: Avoid placing too many fabrics indoors and clean your house regularly. Wear a mask when cleaning, and use a high-efficiency vacuum cleaner.
Allergen #5—Electrical Appliances
Allergic symptoms: Swollen eyes and discomfort in the throat
Cause: When ventilation is poor, odorless and colorless ozone gas emitted by electrical appliances such as computers, fax machines, and televisions can irritate the eyes and tracheal mucosa and cause allergies.
Preventive measures:
A: Place electrical appliances in well-ventilated areas and avoid prolonged contact with them as much as possible.
B: Place plants such as spider plants and lilies next to electrical appliances to purify the air and reduce allergens.
Allergen #6—Formaldehyde
Allergic symptoms: Itchy skin, cough, stuffy nose, dizziness
Cause: Formaldehyde has disinfectant, preservative, and astringent properties. It is widely used in wood furniture, flooring, detergents, and there is also a small amount of it added to textiles and clothes. But it is harmful to the human body, can cause allergies, and may even be carcinogenic.
Preventive measures:
A: Choose environmentally friendly materials for decoration, and don't rush to move in after decoration. First, purify the indoor air and ensure good ventilation to allow formaldehyde to fully evaporate.
B: Wash new clothes (especially underwear) several times before wearing them and air dry them in a well-ventilated area.
C: Rinse clothes multiple times after washing and air dry in a well-ventilated area. Even if clothes are already dried or dry cleaned, they should be aired out before being put away.
Allergen #7—Genital Secretions
Allergic symptoms: Skin redness and itching
Cause: Genital secretions, such as vaginal discharge, menstrual blood, semen, etc., can irritate the local skin or mucous membranes, causing allergies and resulting in skin redness and itching.
Preventive measures:
A: Consult a doctor and take the antihistamines recommended by the doctor.
B: Use condoms during sexual activity to reduce contact between secretions and the skin and prevent allergies.
C: After sexual activity, the woman should squat immediately to let the semen flow out of the vagina; both the man and woman should urinate and clean the genital area in a timely manner to prevent allergies.
Allergen #8—Condoms
Allergic symptoms: Swelling, pain, itching in the genital area
Cause: Some condoms are made with spermicides that can cause allergies in some people. In addition, condoms are rubber products, and their chemical components during sexual activity can also irritate mucous membranes and cause allergies.
Preventive measures: Choose condoms without spermicides, or choose other contraceptive methods such as oral contraceptives to avoid using condoms.
Allergen #9—Medications
Allergic symptoms: Rashes are the most common, including red, itchy skin, blistering, and sometimes low-grade fever, general discomfort, laryngeal edema, wheezing, difficulty breathing, decreased blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, and in severe cases, even shock.
Cause: Some special ingredients in medications can cause allergies in some people.
Preventive measures: Before using drugs such as penicillin that are prone to cause allergies, do a skin test. Once allergic, avoid using them completely. Other medications that are easy to cause allergies include sulfa drugs, Liusu Pill, Niuhuang Jiedu Tablets, etc., and it is recommended to consult a physician before using them.
Allergen #10—Foods
Allergic symptoms: The most common symptom is red and itchy skin, mostly occurring on the face, around the mouth, or on the body. Other possible symptoms include swollen lips and tongue, nausea, and diarrhea.
Cause: Some special ingredients in food can cause allergies in some people.
Preventive measures:
A: Once you discover any food that causes allergies, avoid it completely and do not try your luck. Research has shown that more than 90% of food allergies are caused by allergens in milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, or soybeans. Other foods that are prone to cause allergies include corn, oats, beef, caffeine, chocolate, bananas, citrus fruits, mangoes, strawberries, tomatoes, nuts, and salmon.
B: Avoid eating foods with food additives such as artificial colorings, essences, benzoic acid, eucalyptol, monosodium glutamate, BHT-BHA, propyl gallate, and cochineal, as they are also prone to causing allergies.
C: If you are allergic to certain fruits, it may be due to their skin or the detergent used. It is recommended to peel the fruit before eating it.
D: Drink plenty of water, pay attention to a balanced diet, and reduce stress. Excessive stress can burden the immune system and trigger food allergies.