感受到被"毛毛"支配的恐惧了么？春风十里，不如学习如何防过敏丨Are you allergic to catkins?
Have you been walking around lately, minding your own business, only to get hit with a face full of fluff?
You know the stuff, floating aimlessly through the air, clinging to the clothing of unsuspecting passers-by.
One strong breeze and it forms a white whirlwind, lodging itself in your eyes, nose and mouth.
Before you know it, you're chewing on a clump of it and looking a bit like Nicholas Tse.
That's right, it's peak season for flying catkins, the cotton-like material that fills northern skies from April to mid-May.
Technically speaking, this infuriating fluff is actually a mass of airborne seeds produced by female poplar and willow trees.
Once pollinated by the males, the females release massive amounts of this "spring snow", as the substance is sometimes known.
Love is in the air, eh? Well that's as may be, but it can cause lots of problems for pedestrians.
Beijing has started sterilizing the trees in the hope of putting an end to the catkins, but we may still have to bear with them for a while yet.
To tell you the truth, in the face of this airborne menace, there's little we can do but run. And things get even trickier for people with allergies or respiratory problems.
So here's a list of some of the ways you can protect yourself from the fluff at this time of year.
❶ Wear a face mask and sunglasses (or spectacles) to prevent pollen getting into your eyes, nose or mouth.
❷ Shower every night to help wash away any stray pollen that's become lodged in your hair or on your skin.
❸ Keep your windows closed at in the mornings and evenings when pollen counts are at their highest.
❹ Change your clothes as soon as you get home, to avoid traipsing pollen around the house.
❺ Dry washing inside to prevent pollen sticking to everything from your towels to your bedding to your smalls.
❻ If you have hay fever, avoid alcohol. A drink on a warm summer evening may be tempting, but it can make your symptoms worse.
If you're a seasonal patient, you're supposed to take some remedies in advance:
For spring allergy sufferers, patients should start their allergy regime early. If you wait for symptoms to start, you will be playing catch up and it will be harder to get them under control.
There are several types of drugs that can help relieve symptoms:
➤ Antihistamines: alleviate congestion and itchy and watery eyes;
➤ Nasal sprays: shrink swollen nasal tissues and make it easier to breathe;
➤ Eye drops: alleviate itchy, teary, and red eyes.
Vitamin C can help relieve the pains and a cup of green tea might reduce nasal congestion.
Do eat foods that contain the omega-3 fatty acid, EPA. Cold water fatty fish and shellfish are great sources of this fatty acid that has been shown to reduce inflammation that contributes to allergy symptoms.
Click here for audio and translation of the story
Editor: Jiao Jie
Source: HuffPost
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