I spent two afternoons sorting out the types and prevention methods of allergies. Whether you want to know, prevent or treat allergies, you can have a look. Reading this article can save you 80% time to understand allergies.

First, dust mites are allergic.

After visiting Zhihu, I met some friends in the north, and went to the south, where I got a lot of pimples, which was very uncomfortable. I didn't know I was allergic to dust mites until I went to the hospital for examination. Next, I will talk about how to judge whether I am allergic to dust mites and how to prevent them.

How to judge whether you are allergic to dust mites?

Do you sneeze constantly when cleaning the room where you live for a long time?

Can your nose itch and cough when you walk on a dusty road?

Can you get a rash when you take the quilt out for one night in different seasons?

If all this happens in your daily life, then you are probably allergic to dust mites.

Causes of sensitization of dust mites

Dust mites are common allergens, and their bodies, secretions, excretions, molting bodies and dead dust mites can cause allergies.

There are two main ways to sensitize dust mites:

Allergy caused by direct skin contact.

Inhalation of air into human body through respiratory tract is allergic.

Direct contact with skin is generally easy to cause allergic diseases such as allergic dermatitis and urticaria, while inhaling air through respiratory tract is easy to cause allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma.

Diseases caused by dust mites

Dust mites can mainly cause allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, allergic dermatitis, urticaria and other allergic diseases. Because dust mites can cause allergic diseases above 1, and even induce systemic allergic reactions in severe cases, it is necessary to protect dust mites and make timely diagnosis and treatment.

Protection of dust mite allergy

Keep indoor sanitation, dust frequently (protective mask is required), and keep dry and ventilated;

Wash sheets and pillowcases frequently.

Use anti-mite bedding

Bask in the quilt is often used (after drying, remove the anti-mite quilt cover and pat it hard to make the mites fall off the quilt, because dead mites are also allergens), and dust mites can also be killed when placed outdoors at MINUS 18 degrees in winter;

Try not to use carpets, fabric curtains, filled homes (such as fabric sofas), etc. Because mites like these fluffy things very much, and these places are particularly easy for mites to breed; Simplify indoor home layout and avoid dust accumulation.

Use air purifiers, vacuum cleaners with filters, etc. , and regularly clean or replace the filters of these household appliances;

Use high-safety acaricide (acaricide) and acaricide patch;

Don't let pets into the bedroom, because pet fur is also easy to carry dust mites.

Second, pollen allergy.

Will you cry when catkins are flying? Do you feel itchy and uncomfortable when you walk in the garden? Do you cough and sneeze on outings in spring and autumn? If all this happens in your daily life, then you are probably allergic to pollen. As a common allergen in daily life, pollen can cause a series of allergic diseases.

Brief introduction of pollen

Pollen is the male organ of plants, and plants can grow fruits and seeds through pollination and fertilization. Generally speaking, the pollen that causes allergic diseases is wind-borne flower powder. Because of its light weight, it can be scattered in the air with the wind and spread to far away places. Temperature, relative humidity, wind, rainfall, pollen quantity, pollen maturity and other factors will affect the spread of pollen. Spring and autumn are just the flower season, with suitable climate, long flowering period and large pollen yield, which is the high incidence season of pollen allergy. It is worth noting that the main allergens are airborne tree pollen and grass pollen, while rare ornamental flowers pollen.

Different geographical locations and climatic conditions will affect the distribution of plants, which will lead to different types of pollen allergens. China has a vast territory, and the allergens of common pollen in different regions are also quite different.

Causes of pollen allergy

Pollen enters the body through the respiratory tract, and its allergen protein component is the key substance that really causes human allergy, and its allergen component is the key substance that really causes human allergy.

Pollen sensitization disease

Pollen can mainly cause allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma and allergic conjunctivitis. Commonly known as "hay fever" in life, it is a seasonal allergic rhinitis caused by pollen allergy, which recurs every year during pollen transmission.

Difference between pollen allergy and dust mite allergy

Prevent pollen allergy

Wear a mask to travel in spring and autumn pollen season

Go less, don't go to places with lush vegetation and blooming flowers.

If you have the conditions, you can travel to other places to avoid flowering.

Close indoor doors and windows and install air filters to reduce pollen entry.

Don't hang clothes outdoors, change clothes when you come back from the outdoors.

Pay attention to the pollen monitoring report and take various protective measures in advance.

Third, food allergies.

Some people regard milk, soybean milk, nuts, wheat, fish and shrimp, fruits and other foods as delicacies, while others regard them as poison and arsenic. Why? Some babies cry after eating breast milk, vomiting and diarrhea. Some people have itchy skin and red lips after eating crabs. Some people have chest tightness, shortness of breath, cough and palpitation after eating fruit. Why?

Food allergy is a series of adverse reactions mediated by the immune system after the human body ingests allergens in food. See the table below for the differences among food allergy, food intolerance and food poisoning.

Foods that can cause allergies in daily life include milk, eggs, beans, wheat, fish and shrimp, meat, seafood, nuts and fruits. Food allergy is widespread all over the world, and the main allergic foods are different according to the different eating habits of different countries. The main allergic foods in China are: fish, crustaceans, milk, eggs, mushrooms, nuts, fruits and wheat.

Causes of food allergy

Food mainly enters the body through the digestive tract, causing IGE-mediated type I hypersensitivity. Its fatal factors include: genetic factors, food allergens, food cross-reaction, food seasonings and additives.

Food allergy has certain heredity and race. It is found that if one parent has food allergy, the prevalence rate of their children is 30% ~ 40%; If both parents have food allergies, the prevalence rate of their children is 60%~80%.

The most essential reason of food allergy is that the human body is allergic to the specific food allergen protein. At present, some allergen components in plant-derived food and animal-derived food have been separated and identified. It is worth noting that there may be new allergen protein components in genetically modified foods, which will also cause allergic reactions in humans and need to be carefully identified.

Food cross-reaction means that food allergens cross between different things because of the existence of the same antigenic determinant. The cross-reaction of animal-derived foods generally occurs between milk and goat milk and different kinds of fish, while the cross-reaction of plant-derived foods may occur between different orders, families and genera. For example, patients who are allergic to Artemisia selengensis can also be allergic to celery, fennel and carrots. It is worth noting that patients who are allergic to dust mites may also be allergic to certain fruits, and patients who are allergic to specific pollen may also be allergic to certain fruits.

Food flavoring agents and additives can also cause allergic reactions in humans. In many cases, people are allergic to food flavors and additives, such as peanut oil, preservatives, pigments and spices. But this allergen will be covered up by the food you eat, making food a "scapegoat" for allergic reactions, but I don't know that these will also cause allergic reactions.

Symptoms of food allergy

Food can cause allergic symptoms of digestive tract, respiratory tract, skin and cardiovascular system. The symptoms of digestive tract allergy are mainly nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which can cause oral ulcer, chronic colitis and other diseases. The symptoms of respiratory allergy mainly include itchy nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, runny nose, cough, laryngeal edema, dyspnea, asthma and oral mucosa syndrome.

The main symptoms of skin allergy are itchy skin, red wheal, papules and redness of lips. The allergic symptoms of cardiovascular system are rapid heartbeat, arrhythmia and blood pressure drop, and severe cases can produce anaphylactic shock.

Prevent food allergies

Go to the hospital allergy specialist to diagnose which foods have allergic reactions, and then try to avoid eating these foods in daily life;

Children who are allergic to milk can use hydrolyzed formula or amino acid milk powder instead of milk;

Choose to use alternative food, if you are allergic to animal protein (eggs), you can use high-quality plant protein instead;

Patients who are allergic to food seasonings and additives should pay attention to the cooking methods of food and read the food formula instructions before eating;

Pay attention to avoid using cookware with residual allergic food or things with cross-allergy, and clean the utensils after each cooking;

Avoid exercise before and after eating, so as to avoid serious allergic reactions induced by food-dependent exercise;

For people with allergic symptoms or known allergic constitution, they should carefully record their diet, write a diet diary and find out the allergic food.

Fourth, drug allergy.

Drug allergy refers to the serious and fatal allergic reaction caused by drugs entering the human body through oral administration, inhalation, suppository, infusion and contact. Drug allergy is a special type of adverse drug reactions, including side effects, toxic effects, after-effects and specific reactions, as well as carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic effects. Common antibiotics (such as cephalosporin, penicillin, gentamicin, tetracycline, etc. ), antipyretic and analgesic drugs, traditional Chinese medicine, etc. Vaccines that can cause allergies and prevent diseases, anesthetics and muscle relaxants used in surgery can also cause allergies. Epidemiological investigation shows that 1%~ 10% people are allergic to penicillin, and 1 person in every 50000~ 100000 vaccinated people has allergic symptoms to the vaccine.

Causes of drug allergy

Any drug can cause allergic reaction under certain conditions, among which individual differences, purity of drug, route of drug entering human body, metabolic rate of drug in human body and other factors will affect the probability of drug allergy.

Individuals with a family history of drug allergy are prone to drug allergy due to genetic effects; At the same time, individuals with basal metabolic diseases (such as liver disease and kidney disease, etc.). ) drug allergies are prone to occur during menstruation, pregnancy, fatigue and drinking.

The higher the purity of the drug, the less likely it is to cause allergies. Allergic diseases induced by vaccine injection may be caused by vaccine antigens, vaccine adjuvants, organic substances used in vaccine production, vaccine stabilizers, vaccine preservatives and other vaccine excipients.

According to the route of drugs entering the human body, topical drugs are the most likely to cause allergies, followed by injection and oral administration.

The slower the drug is metabolized in the body, the longer it stays in the body, and the more likely it is to cause allergies.

Drug allergy disease

Drug allergy can cause skin damage, organ reaction and systemic reaction. Mild drug allergy can cause single urticaria, systemic vascular edema, sporadic maculopapules and fixed drug eruption, while severe allergic reactions such as epidermolysis bullosa, allergic purpura, drug hypersensitivity, epidermolysis bullosa, allergic purpura, drug hypersensitivity syndrome, liver and kidney damage, national shock, etc.

Prevent drug allergy

Find out the pathogenic drugs;

Evaluate drugs before taking them to avoid drugs with allergic history;

Do drug skin test before injecting drugs;

Medication under the guidance of a professional doctor;

Pay attention to reading the drug instructions;

Adjust drug prescription, increase or decrease drug dosage;

Allergy specialist is equipped with first aid measures;

Verb (abbreviation for verb) fungal allergy

Brewing needs yeast, making yogurt needs lactic acid bacteria, and making soy sauce needs Aspergillus. Fungi are very beneficial in our daily life. However, Alternaria, Basidiomycetes, Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Penicillin can also cause allergic diseases of human respiratory tract and skin.

Brief introduction of fungi

Fungi are a kind of eukaryotes widely existing in nature, with a wide variety and great differences among species. According to different morphological structures, fungi can be divided into single-celled fungi and multicellular fungi, single-celled fungi such as Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans, and multicellular fungi such as molds and mushrooms (large fungi such as Volvariella volvacea and Auricularia auricula). Fungi like warm and humid environment, its suitable growth temperature is 22~28℃, it likes acidic environment and is not heat-resistant, but it has strong resistance to ultraviolet rays and sunlight. China is located in the temperate zone, which is very conducive to the reproduction and growth of fungi. Fungal spores that can cause human allergies are scattered in the air all the year round.

Causes of fungal sensitization

There are three main ways of fungal sensitization:

1) airborne fungal spores enter the body through the respiratory tract, causing allergic respiratory diseases;

2) Fungi cause allergic dermatosis through contact with human body;

3) Fungi enter the human body through the digestive tract and cause allergic digestive tract diseases.

There are many kinds of airborne fungi in the air, including Aspergillus, Alternaria, Penicillium and Cladosporium, among which Aspergillus can cause allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), Alternaria and Penicillium can cause allergic asthma. Skin contact with fungi can easily cause allergic diseases, such as allergic dermatitis, eczema and urticaria. Mushrooms, such as auricularia auricula, Lentinus edodes, dictyophora, etc., can initiate local and systemic allergic reactions after entering the human body through the digestive tract.

Fungal sensitization disease

Fungi mainly cause allergic respiratory diseases and allergic skin diseases. Among them, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is the most characteristic disease in allergic airway diseases, and its clinical symptoms are mainly fever, cough, brown or dark green sputum, headache, chest pain, abdominal pain and general malaise.

Prevent fungal allergy

Wear a mask when going out to avoid inhaling airborne fungi;

Avoid using edible fungi that cause allergies;

Don't eat overnight food or food left for a long time;

Keep the indoor environment clean, often clean the room and corner to avoid mildew;

Try to keep indoors dry in rainy season;

For refrigerators, air conditioners, freezers and other substances, the places where fungi grow need to be cleaned and replaced frequently.

Six, insect allergy

If you are bitten by a bee in a garden full of flowers, will it be red, swollen and stinging? Can cockroaches itch and get acne when they breed in a humid and sultry environment? Do you feel numb after eating fried grasshoppers in a crowded snack street? If all this happens in your daily life, then you are probably allergic to insects. Insect bites. Insect breeding or using insect food can cause local or systemic allergic reactions, and even life-threatening in severe cases.

Brief introduction of insect allergy

Insect allergy refers to allergic reactions caused by insect bites, inhalation of insect secretions or excreta, and eating insect food. Insects allergic to insects are mainly HYMENOPTERA insects, including bees (bees, wasps, wasps, etc. ) and ants (fire ants, black ants and long-legged ants, etc. ). Insects that cause allergic reactions by inhaling insect secretions and excreta mainly include cockroaches, mosquitoes, flies, moths and vegetables. Insects causing allergic reactions due to eating insect food are mainly grasshoppers, cicada pupae and termites.

Causes of insect sensitization

Insect allergens enter the human body through bites, respiratory tract or digestive tract, and the main sensitizing component is specific insect protein.

It is worth noting that red meat allergy caused by tick bites, that is, after eating red meat such as pork, beef, mutton and rabbit meat for 3 to 6 hours, serious allergic reactions such as urticaria, vascular edema, respiratory distress and even anaphylactic shock will occur, and these symptoms did not appear before ticks bite red meat.

Let's explain the principle:

Red meat allergy caused by tick bites, the allergen of which is α-galactoside, will be injected into human body when biting, which will induce human body to produce a large number of IgE antibodies against α-galactoside and bind with high affinity IgE receptors on mast cells and basophils. However, after the patient ingests red meat for 3 to 6 hours, the fat particles will release the sugar in the meat after digestion, which means that the human body will be exposed to α -galactoside again, activating the IgE receptor complex on mast cells and basophils, leading to allergic reactions.

Prevent insect allergy

Minimize skin exposure and wear long clothes, trousers, socks, hats and gloves outdoors;

Avoid wearing bright clothes to attract insects;

Avoid perfume, heavy makeup, sweat and other smells to attract insects;

Clean the room regularly, keep the room dry and ventilated, and reduce the conditions for insect breeding.

Try to eat less insect food.

Patients at risk of anaphylactic shock should prepare self-help equipment such as adrenaline pens.

Seven, pet allergies

As a cat lover, do you get itchy and rash after "close contact" with pets? As a qualified "shovel officer", will your nose itch and sneeze after cleaning up animal dander? As a caring volunteer, will your eyes itch and cough after volunteering at an animal wandering station? If all this happens in your daily life, then you are probably allergic to animals. Common pets in life, such as cats, cats, rabbits, rats, cows, sheep, horses, pigs, etc., can cause allergic reactions in humans.

With the improvement of people's living standards, more and more families keep pets, and the types of pets have developed from common cats, dogs and rabbits to rats, cows, sheep, horses and pigs, and even snakes, lizards and toads have become some people's favorite pets. On the one hand, allergen proteins in pets' own secretions and excretions can cause allergic reactions; On the other hand, dust mites, pollen, dust and mold carried by pets can also cause allergic reactions.

Causes of pet allergy

Pet allergens mainly include animal secretions and excretions, including animal dander, hair, urine and saliva. Animal allergens are mainly transmitted through two ways: 1) Animal allergens attach to sofas, carpets or clothes, and allergic reactions occur after inhalation and skin contact. 2) Animal allergens attach to air particles, spread through the air, and cause allergic reactions after inhalation. People who are allergic to pets are mainly allergic to allergen protein components.

Pet allergic diseases

Pet sensitization can cause allergic diseases such as allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, allergic dermatitis and urticaria. Pet allergy can cause two or more allergic diseases, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients and their families. Therefore, the protection of pet allergies is very important.

Protection of pet allergy

Avoid touching and keeping pets that are allergic to them;

Maintain pet hygiene, regularly give pets a bath, physical examination and vaccination;

Keep pets away from the bedroom;

Regularly clean up pet nests and pets' toys and other places where pets have more contact;

Avoid close contact with pets, such as licking their faces and kissing them;

Keep the room clean and sanitary regularly;

Avoid using carpets, fabric sofas and other furniture that is easy to attach dust mites, so as to avoid pets carrying insects and mites;

Pets should be bathed and cleaned when they come back from outside.

How to make the immune system reach the best health state?

All allergic diseases have a common feature: imbalance of immune system.

In all these diseases, the allergic branch of the immune system is eager to try and get out of control, so it is necessary to bring him back to a balanced state to alleviate his symptoms, improve his quality of life and eliminate long-standing complications.

So how to adjust the immune system to the most balanced state? Like and pay attention, continue to explain in the next issue.