Runny nose, tears appearing, rhinoconjunctivitis, sneezing, and sometimes even asthma. It is not the flu that is described here, but the allergies that form a pair with the arrival of spring temperatures. “Only, with climate change, all this is happening earlier and earlier”notes Linnea Ung, allergist at La Ciotat hospital.
Since January, the specialist has seen patients suffering from the same symptoms, with only one culprit: cypress pollen. It is he who most affects the Mediterranean region. Moreover, the Paca Regional Health Agency (ARS) believes that only the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and the Hautes-Alpes are spared.
Allergies, which represent a real public health problem, affect many people. According to the ARS, in France, 20% of children are affected from the age of 9, while 30% of adults are affected.
According to Linnea Ung, we can evoke heredity: “When there is an atopic parent, there is a one in two chance that the child will be sensitive to the environment”. She nevertheless specifies that one in 10 children whose parents are not affected will be allergic.
And since health evolves alongside the environment, allergic respiratory diseases are constantly increasing and intensifying. “Scientists have established links with various climatic factors such as temperature, precipitation and increased CO2 concentration”explains the allergist.
When she sees patients in her practice, she uses “prick-tests” : “We test the skin’s reaction to contact with a very small amount of allergen. This allows us to find out if the person is sensitive to certain allergens.” Generally, the examination is done on the forearm and the result is apparent following regarding fifteen minutes.
Once the verdict has been reached, the allergist can deliver a compliant treatment and some good actions to adopt. While hoping that the patients in question have no drug allergies…
