Health

Is the pollen season more difficult to endure? Expert: Or related to global warming

2024-10-11   

In late summer and early autumn, the pollen allergy that has tormented people for 200 years has returned. Currently, pollen allergy has become a highly concerned public health issue. Li Lisha, Deputy Chief Physician of the Allergy Department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, stated that the global trend of pollen allergy is becoming increasingly severe. As the pollen season approaches, Lisa becomes particularly busy. Every year from early July to late October, allergenic pollen mainly composed of artemisia pollen and humus pollen can disturb allergy sufferers north of the Yangtze River in China day and night. Why do some people have pollen allergies? Lisa Li explained that pollen allergy has a genetic predisposition. From a medical mechanism perspective, when exposed to pollen allergens for the first time, the human body produces specific IgE antibodies that bind to the surface of effector cells, and the body is now in a sensitized state. If a second pollen exposure occurs afterwards, a series of signals in the human body will be activated and release allergic inflammatory mediators, leading to the development of allergic symptoms. Runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, and nasal itching are almost the "standard" for all pollen allergy patients, and they are often accompanied by conjunctivitis. Some patients with pollen allergies may progress to asthma, experiencing symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and holding their breath. Why is the trend of pollen allergy becoming increasingly severe? Lisa Li analyzed that the academic community believes that climate change may be an important cause. Since the 1970s, the global average temperature has increased by about 1 ℃. The pollination date of plants also changes with changes in temperature. For example, studies have shown that between 1990 and 2018, the pollen season in North America advanced and extended by about 20 days. Meanwhile, higher levels of carbon dioxide promote photosynthesis in plants, leading to an increase in pollen production. Additionally, carbon dioxide can enhance the allergenicity of pollen allergen proteins. In addition, extreme weather can also exacerbate pollen allergies, for example, thunderstorm weather can easily trigger "thunderstorm asthma". In the current situation where pollen allergy is becoming increasingly prevalent, medical measures to address it have also increased. Li Lisha introduced that firstly, patients can use various common symptomatic treatment drugs such as antihistamines to control symptoms. These drugs have their own contraindications and side effects, and usually need to be taken under the guidance of a doctor. In addition, in recent years, emerging biological targeted drugs have also been able to effectively alleviate allergic reactions in pollen season patients. They are convenient to use and can be injected once every 2-4 weeks, but the price is relatively high. Furthermore, immunotherapy can also be used to prevent the progression of the disease through long-term injection of medication. (New Society)

Edit:Chen Jie Responsible editor:Li Ling

Source:China Youth Daily

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