How to Battle Hay Fever and Keep Your Kids Healthy [如何预防孩子患上花粉热]
by Dr. Amali Sajeewika
We know that allergies are no fun during this time of year and it’s tough to see your kid uncomfortable and sniffling constantly. Here’s the 411 on seasonal allergies and how you and your family can identify them and help keep them in check.
Seasonal allergies are on the rise, and nowadays, the number of outpatient clinic visits due to a wide spectrum of allergic symptoms is increasingly high. Even kids and adults who have never had any seasonal allergies in years past can develop it suddenly.
What are Seasonal Allergies?
Seasonal allergies are often referred to as hay fever, which causes an allergic reaction to environmental triggers that typically occur during spring or fall. In fact, seasonal allergies are less common during winter but different plants emit their respective pollens at different times of the year. Symptoms of hay fever may affect an individual year-round depending on one’s immune system and where they live.
Hay fever is a pretty common problem among the foreign community in Shanghai irrespective of their age and gender. Most of them have never had any allergies in the past and they have suddenly developed it in Shanghai, hence I believe that this is a significant health care problem in Shanghai. As far as I am concerned, the most probable causative factors here in Shanghai are rapid temperature fluctuation both throughout the day and day-to-day and air pollution.
Most importantly, seasonal allergies can start at almost any time, though it usually develops by age 10 and reaches its peak in the early 20s and often disappears as one moves further into adulthood.
Identifying the common symptoms of seasonal allergies:
Sneezing
Runny or stuffy nose
Watery eyes
Itchy throat, eyes or ear canals
Ear congestion
Post nasal drainage
Managing the Exposure to Pollen
Even though, complete avoidance of pollen is impossible, there are number of measures that you can take to minimize offending allergens.
When you are indoors, the following measures will reduce your exposure to allergy triggers.
Try staying indoors on dry, windy days and when pollen counts are reported to be high
Wash bed linens at least once a week in hot water (1300F or higher)
Regularly clean carpets and all upholstered furniture in your home
Remove stuffed toys from children’s bedrooms
Cover bedding and pillows with allergen-proof covers
Fix any water leaks as this can help reduce mold
Keeping your indoor air clean can be the most important factor for keeping seasonal allergies in check at home. Using High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters in air conditioners to better trap pollen spores, changing air condition filters regularly and keeping the indoor air dry with a dehumidifier (aim to keep indoor humidity less than 50 percent) can all be very effective.
Think about extra precautions before traveling and outdoor activities, such as:
Check pollen counts before you travel and consider vacations near oceans or bays where pollen counts are typically lower
Try to minimize early morning activities when pollen is emitted (usually between 5-10 am)
Keep the car windows closed when traveling
Wear protective masks when gardening and doing outdoor activities
Wear sunglasses when you are outdoors to reduce the amount of pollen coming into your eyes
Wash your hair at the end of the day to avoid pollen coming in contact with your pillowcase
Pets can bring in pollen, so consider rinsing them off if they were outdoors on a high-pollen day
Finally, if your seasonal allergy symptoms are just flat out making you and your family miserable, it is advisable to meet with your family physician before trying any over-the-counter medications. There are plenty of medical facilities available to diagnose and help control seasonal allergy symptoms. Your doctor may recommend a skin test or blood test to identify the exact allergens that trigger your symptoms. Furthermore, if symptoms cannot be managed with medicine, your doctor may recommend regular allergy shots (immunotherapy), which can help desensitize you and your kids to the offending allergens.
Dr. Amali Sajeewika is a registered family physician at American Medical Center/JJ-Premier Medical Care (AMC/JJP), a comprehensive mental and medical health service clinic for children, adolescents, adults, and families living in Shanghai.
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每年的此时都是过敏的高发季，尤其是对孩子们来说。这里就提供一些关于如何防治季节性过敏的小贴士。
季节性过敏的人群持续上升，出诊率也越来越高，即使是过去并没有相关症状的孩子和成人也有可能突然过敏。
季节性过敏是什么？
季节性过敏也常被称为花粉病，通常在春秋季节由于环境因素诱发过敏症状。事实上，季节性过敏虽然在冬天少发，但不同植物会在不同的季节散播花粉，所以根据免疫系统和居住环境的不同，花粉病可能一年发作的时间也不同。
在沪居住的外籍群体，无论年龄和性别，都易患花粉病。他们中的大部分从未有过过敏病史，而是搬到上海突然患上的，因此我认为这是上海很严重的一个健康问题。在我看来，可能性最大的诱因是上海日间和昼夜较大的温差和空气污染。
最重要的是，虽然季节性过敏通常会在10岁左右出现症状，在20多岁的时候达到最严重的顶峰，然后随着成人渐渐消失，但其实随时都可能发生。
辨认季节性过敏的常见症状
打喷嚏
流鼻涕、鼻塞
流泪
眼、喉或耳道痒
耳朵堵塞
后鼻干涩
避免接触花粉
虽然完全避免花粉是不现实对，你依然可以采取各种措施来将和花粉的接触降低到最小
在室内时，以下措施可以减少你对过敏源的接触：
在室外干燥、大风且花粉含量过高时，尽量呆在室内
至少每周一次将床单被套置于热水中（华氏1300度以上）清洗
定期清理地毯和带靠垫的家具
将填充玩偶远离孩子的卧室
用防过敏床罩来遮盖床具和枕头
修理漏水的地方来减少发霉
保证室内空气的洁净是最好防止季节性过敏的方式。在空调中装置高效能特殊空气洁净器（heap）可以捕捉花粉颗粒，定期清理空调过滤网，用空气干燥剂来减轻室内空气的湿度都可以有效减轻过敏的可能性。
出门旅行和户外活动前要采取额外措施，比如：
提前查看空气中花粉含量，并尽量前往海河湾等花粉含量较少低地方旅行
减少清晨活动，因为花粉通常在5-10点时传播
旅行时关闭车窗
修建花园或做户外运动时佩戴防护面罩
在户外时佩戴墨镜来减少花粉进入眼睛的机会
每晚结束的时候洗头来避免花粉与你的枕套接触
宠物可能携带花粉，如其在户外或花粉含量高的地方活动过请予以清洗
最后，如果你的过敏症状实在变的痛苦难忍，我们建议你在服用任何药物前先咨询你的医生。有许多医疗证所可以诊治和控制季节性过敏症状。你的医生可能会推荐你做一个皮肤或血液测试来确定你的过敏源。如果药物无法控制症状，你的医生可能会推荐你定期注射过敏疫苗来帮助你和你的孩子抵抗过敏。
Dr. Amali Sajeewika是一位在美国医疗中心注册的家庭医师，该中心是一家综合性精神和医疗健康服务诊所，面向居住在上海的幼儿，青少年，成人和家庭。
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