Allergist
In winter, the typical symptoms of colds and respiratory allergies begin to appear: nasal congestion, stuffy nose, sneezing, watery eyes, itchy nose and/or ears…How to know if you have a cold, allergic rhinitis or asthma When are our respiratory tracts most sensitive to cold? To learn more about this topic, OKSALUD INTERVIEW Dolores Hernandez Fernandez de Rojasallergist and medical director of Southern Europe allergy treatment.
According to experts, allergies affect more than 20% of the population The prevalence has been gradually increasing for decades. Although there are many types of allergies (respiratory allergies, food allergies, bite allergies, contact allergies, work allergies, etc.), respiratory allergies are the most common, best known, and most studied.
Immunotherapy for the treatment of respiratory allergies began in England in 1911, long before the mechanisms of the allergic process were known.Have had it since then stride In this form of treatment, its effectiveness and safety are optimized.
Dolores Hernández said Spain is a leading country in scientific knowledge of allergic diseases and in the development and optimization of allergen immunotherapy products. Seven of the ten EU allergen producers have production plants in Spain.
Question: Stuffy nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, watery eyes, itchy nose and/or ears… What are some symptoms of winter allergic rhinitis that differentiate it from a cold?
answer. – Sometimes it’s difficult to differentiate between the symptoms of a common cold and allergic rhinitis. However, there is some data that may suggest that it is an allergic process, such as nasal and eye itching, bouts of sneezing, runny nose and congestion, and red eyes that may recur over years, days, and weeks. appear, sometimes interspersed with periods of no symptoms at all. However, catarrhal symptoms are more self-limited in time and are often associated with fever and/or general fatigue, symptoms that do not typically occur during allergies.
Q:- What causes these allergies to appear?
A. – During the winter, the most common allergies are often caused by indoor allergens such as dust mites, moisture fungi and even epithelial cells from livestock. This is because as the days get shorter and colder, we spend more time indoors, increasing our exposure to these indoor allergens.
But we must not forget that some plant species pollinate outside of spring. In Spain, the most distinctive ones are the Cupressaceae plants, which pollinate in December, January and February, but vary according to the geographical area. Also relevant is pollen from Salsolaris, a type of amaranth that pollinates in late summer.
Q: How do respiratory allergies affect a patient’s quality of life?
A. – Respiratory allergies greatly impact the patient’s quality of life because they are chronic and recurring processes that occur over weeks and months. Inability to adequately ventilate the nasal cavity not only affects daytime and social activities, but also affects nighttime, making it difficult to rest. Additionally, some medications used to control symptoms can induce sleep and reduce the alertness needed to perform activities such as working, studying, driving, and more.
Q: Do they affect children and adults differently?
A. – Allergic rhinitis, or rhinoconjunctivitis, affects children and adults. For the former, effects occur primarily in school performance as well as daily activities. Effects on parents or carers have also been documented. For adults, as mentioned earlier, effects occur during work and leisure activities.
Q:- How to prevent them?
A. – If you suspect you have respiratory allergies, it is important to consult an allergist so that a proper diagnosis can be made to help establish mechanisms to avoid discomfort or manage it to minimize its impact.
Q: How to control symptoms?
A. – Once symptoms occur, there are some symptomatic medications that can help control them. However, with this type of treatment, the specific problem is solved, but the recurrence of discomfort cannot be prevented if there is continued exposure to the substances that trigger the allergic process (dust mites, epithelial cells, fungi or pollen).
Therefore, allergen immunotherapy is recommended when discomfort recurs. It is the only allergic disease treatment that can prevent or minimize the occurrence of allergic symptoms. It involves administering safe doses of symptom-causing allergens in order to produce protection when exposed to those allergens.