鹽水簡易治鼻炎

鼻炎泛指鼻腔、鼻竇黏膜腫脹發炎，分為急性與慢性兩類，前者因病毒、細菌，或外來異物如化學物質等引發的急性症狀，後者主要是由各種致敏原引發的鼻過敏反應。慢性鼻炎患者遇到塵埃、蟲蟎、花粉、黴菌、貓狗等動物皮毛，均可引發過敏反應。症狀發作時會流鼻涕，並因鼻甲腫脹而感到用鼻呼吸時有阻塞感，以及因黏膜受刺激而令眼、鼻及口腔有痕癢感等。

　　由感冒引發的急性鼻炎，可服用藥物來減少鼻水，幾天過後，多可自瘉。治療慢性鼻炎的方法，應先從避免接觸致敏原開始，並可以藥物控制病徵，例如以抗組織胺減少鼻涕及痕癢，或以局部用鼻內激素，停止過敏反應等，這些方法均有七成以上減少症狀的功效。

　　減少達六成用藥率

　　於使用鹽水防治感冒的研究中，有用鹽水沖洗鼻腔的兒童，於冬季流感時的鼻炎病發率較沒有使用的一組平均低一半以上，由感冒引發的徵狀亦更為輕微。八周內只有不到一成兒童要使用退燒及抗生素等藥物。另一項研究亦顯示，以鹽水清洗鼻腔可有效改善鼻炎症狀，加速鼻內毛細胞的黏液潔淨功能，令患者可減少達六成的用藥率。

　　以鹽水沖洗鼻腔方法簡單，用一小茶匙潔淨食鹽調入

一杯微溫水中至完全溶解，試味約如海水鹹度般即可，使用時以滴用容器或二十毫升的針筒注滿鹽水，沖洗時頭稍往下垂，令鼻孔朝下，把口張開，將鹽水慢慢注入鼻腔，讓鹽水從鼻回流或從鼻流入口腔。若有黏液沖出，可重複沖洗至流出的為清潔鹽水為止。若每日沖洗三、四次，連續使用四至八周，可達更佳效果。使用市面有售的生理鹽水、已註冊的鼻用沖劑、經消毒的海鹽水，或在鼻腔內塗海鹽軟膏等，也有類似功效。

資訊來源: http://hd.stheadline.com/living/living_content.asp?contid=189175&srctype=g

South Portland woman allergic to nearly everything – 波蘭女差不多對所有東西都過敏

Goodwin says she has Mast Cell Activation Syndrome which makes her allergic to nearly everything. Contact with things like perfume, deodorant, grass, even sunlight can cause her to have a reaction, “I get hives and flushing all over my body, my body turns red and it feels like it’s on fire, it burns, and it itches.” She says the pain is almost unbearable, “I start to get abdominal pain, I have diarrhea, I have nausea, I feel light-headed and my lungs start to swell. It gets harder and harder to breathe.” Goodwin takes 38 pills per day to control these symptoms but even those don’t work sometimes.

For the most part she’s confined to her South Portland apartment, “there’s part of me that feels like if this is what the rest of my life is going to be like, stuck inside, it’s not worth living.” 

The one thing she says would bring some sense of normalcy to her life is a house. But building a house she can live in is going to take work. She says, “it will need to be a smaller house because obviously I can’t maintain a big house and then I’ll have to work with my doctor to see what kind of flooring I can have, and paint.”

Unfortunately her dream of building a home is temporarily on hold; Goodwin says the bills are piling up. Because of her condition she says she’s spending more than she’s bringing in from Social Security and Disability. She told CBS 13, “I have to decide sometimes whether I can eat or buy my medicine or pay rent.”

Goodwin says she’s not sure if there’s an end in sight but she’s not giving up, “I just have this drive, I’m not going to let this take me down.”

Source: http://www.wgme.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/south-portland-woman-allergic-nearly-everything-27150.shtml#.VVGLf46qqkp

全家一起用餐 好處多

兒時最美好的回憶都與祖母的餐桌有關。無論是廚房裡的隨意早餐，木屋曬台上的夏日午餐，還是在餐廳裡共享節日晚餐，它們總是與美味息息相關，正如爸爸做的土豆湯和剛從花園裡摘下的新鮮蔬菜。更重要的是，我們相聚一堂談論有趣的事情，從熱點話題辯論到地理學遊戲，不時開些過分的玩笑。

那時候，儘管大家庭聚會不是天天舉行，但是我們全家人每天都會一起吃晚餐，偶爾才會看電視作為調劑，這已經成了規矩。現在，家庭晚餐時光已經成了「規矩」以外的「例外」，因為人們已經對外出用餐、看電視或電腦用餐等習以為常。 
　　 
研究顯示，那些每天至少與家人共用一餐的孩子們，擁有更富營養的飲食習慣，在學校表現更佳。這個理論同樣適用於成年人。 
　　

孩子和父母一起用餐有很多好處：

　　1、孩子可以獲得較高水平的纖維、鈣、鐵和必需維生素，並且降低飲用汽水和油炸食品的可能性。 
　　2、如果讓孩子參與準備和選擇飯菜，通常他們會吃得更健康。 
　　3、為了達到最佳健康狀態，孩子每日需要吃6份水果和蔬菜。同父母一起用餐將這一目標的成功率提高到兩倍。 
　　4、提升孩子們的詞彙量和語言溝通能力，幫助獲得更好的在校表現並降低行為問題。 
　　5、孩子會以父母為範例，學習如何選擇健康食物，培養良好的飲食行為。
        6、獲得歸屬感，了解家庭價值觀和傳統。 
　　 
然而，一起用餐並不需要特別複雜！一餐簡單均衡的飯菜只需15-20分鐘就能搞定，特別是在每個人都能伸手幫忙的情況。任何年齡的孩子都能學做飯，他們可以從學習擺餐具開始。參與準備過程讓孩子們對飯菜更有興趣。 
　　
即使你沒有小孩，與他人一起用餐也十分重要。你可以每周邀請一位鄰居或者朋友。不必大費周章的準備四道菜的大餐，只是簡單、有益健康和良好的食物就會令人回味無窮。 
　　
現在有些家庭有多重飲食需求，或許有人過敏或者患有食物不耐受症，或許有人正在努力減肥，或許有人由於慢性疾病（如糖尿病）需要管理飲食。但是一家人共同用餐並不意味著吃完全相同的菜。為了適應於不同的飲食習慣和好惡，沙拉組合和自助餐都是很好的方式，因為每個人都能掌控自己盤中的食物。

資料來源: http://www.epochtimes.com/b5/15/4/29/n4422713.htm

孩子「感冒」吃藥一年都沒好 原來是患上過敏性鼻炎

紅網株洲4月14日訊（長株潭報記者 杜方江）春回大地，乍暖還寒，過敏性鼻炎也跟著活躍起來，省直中醫院耳鼻咽喉—頭頸外科主任符曉稱門診平均每天可遇4—5例過敏性鼻炎患者，「很多人誤以為感冒。」今年12歲的株洲男孩曉童（化名），因「感冒」，媽媽隨便買些葯給他吃而拖延了病情，引發了哮喘。

　　男孩每個月都「感冒」，反反覆復

　　

　　曉童的媽媽郭女士回憶，從他8歲起，幾乎每個月都會「感冒」，從癥狀看，一家人都以為孩子患的是感冒，每次郭女士就趕去藥店給孩子買些感冒藥，稍微好一些，就不去管了。如此反覆近一年。郭女士和家人特別納悶，她心想這「感冒」為什麼如此頑固？這時她才意識到要看醫生，最終曉童被確診為過敏性鼻炎，並伴有哮喘。

　　曉童今年12歲，過敏性鼻炎已跟隨他3年之久，如今又有了哮喘。中心醫院耳鼻咽喉科主任黎可華稱很多患者對鼻炎的治療太隨便，只要一發病隨便到藥店買些消炎藥、抗過敏葯吃。「從門診看，很多患者是在採用了偏方或購葯服用之後無效才來醫院看病，因鼻炎和感冒的癥狀較相似，就自行買感冒藥吃，有時會好些，但總會復發。」黎可華稱。「錯把鼻炎當感冒治的患者的確很多，因許多感冒藥中含有抗過敏成分，吃完了會好一些，好了幾天復發了再吃，如此反覆，過敏性鼻炎癥狀會越來越重。」符曉表示。

　　找到過敏原是關鍵

　　

　　對於過敏性鼻炎，符曉稱有常年性的和季節性的，「常見的過敏原有蟲蟎、花粉、動物皮毛及柳絮、真菌、蟑螂，還有花生、牛奶及雞蛋等食物，對於治療，能找到過敏原最好。」「急性鼻炎、慢性鼻炎及過敏性鼻炎患病在逐年遞增，患者年齡趨向低齡化，而且多數患者發病後治療不積極。」黎可華稱城市中的粉塵顆粒、汽車尾氣、炒菜油煙、裝飾材料和食品添加劑、驟變的天氣等都是引發鼻部疾病的重要原因。除了這些因素，個人的過敏性體質也是引發鼻部疾病的重要原因。

　　　　

　　鼻炎還可能引起咽炎、喉炎等

　　

　　紅網株洲4月14日訊（長株潭報記者 杜方江）很多人以為鼻炎是小問題，其實不然，若不及時治療，後患無窮，不僅會引起咽炎、喉炎、中耳炎、副鼻竇炎，可能帶來全身性的影響。「總是流水樣的清鼻涕，流不停，鼻癢鼻塞，以及連連打噴嚏，甚至一連打10幾個，這些癥狀跟感冒還是有所區別的。」符曉提醒市民要注意區別。同時他較推崇中藥治療，「通過調節體質，從而達到治療的效果。」

　　黎可華稱過敏性鼻炎的患者中30%以上合併患有哮喘，60%的同時患有下氣道炎症。過敏性鼻炎很難根治，治療的重點是減少其發作的次數及癥狀。此類患者最好找到過敏原，並對症治療。目前比較好的方法是特異性脫敏治療，否則，癥狀可能會日漸加重，或由一種過敏原發展成多種過敏原，過敏性鼻炎繼續發展，可伴發哮喘、皮膚蕁麻疹或者過敏性結膜炎等，治療起來更為棘手。

資訊來源: http://news.sina.com.tw/article/20150414/14176308.html

Is Gluten Sensitivity Real? 真的有麩質敏感這回事嗎?

You’ve probably seen the recent glut of sensational headlines in the media proclaiming that non-celiac gluten sensitivity is some kind of widespread collective delusion—simply a figment of the imagination of anyone who claims to experience it.

These stories point to a new study which found that a group of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were not sensitive to gluten. (1) The researchers who performed this study had previously published a paper showing that IBS patients were sensitive to wheat, and that removing wheat from their diet led to an improvement of symptoms.

However, in this new study, the authors specifically isolated gluten and found that there was no difference in symptoms between the patients eating high-gluten diets and those eating low-gluten diets.

This is a significant finding, but to claim that it proves that non-celiac gluten sensitivity doesn’t exist is both inaccurate and irresponsible. It’s a great way to get clicks and generate attention, but it’s an extreme distortion of what the study actually found.

Why this study doesn’t disprove gluten sensitivity

First, this study examined the effects of gluten in a specific population: people with irritable bowel syndrome. Even if it is true that gluten sensitivity is no more common in people with IBS than in people without IBS (which is premature to conclude on the basis of a single study), it does not overturn the large body of evidence that links non-celiac gluten sensitivity to a variety of health problems ranging from allergies to schizophrenia to autism spectrum disorders. (2, 3, 4, 5)

Second, this study does not suggest that people with IBS—or anyone else with gluten sensitivity—should feel free to start chowing down on wheat. In fact, it suggests the opposite. For the first week of the trial, all patients were put on a gluten-free diet that was also low in FODMAPs (a class of carbohydrates present in wheat, as well as other foods).

After this lead-in period, the participants were assigned to one of three groups: a high-gluten diet, a low-gluten diet, and a placebo. Those on the high gluten diet were given 16 grams per day of purified wheat gluten; those on the low gluten diet were given 2 grams per day of purified wheat gluten plus 14 grams per day of whey protein isolate; and those on the placebo diet were given 16 grams per day of whey protein isolate.

The majority of participants experienced a significant improvement of symptoms during the 7-day gluten-free, low FODMAP lead-in period. But there was no difference in symptoms between the high gluten, low gluten, or placebo groups during the subsequent treatment period. In other words, patients did react adversely to wheat, but they did not react to isolated gluten.

This of course suggests that something other than gluten in the wheat was causing the problems patients experienced. We now know that there are several compounds in wheat other than gluten that could be to blame. These include not only FODMAPs, but also agglutinins (proteins that bind to sugar), prodynorphins (proteins involved with cellular communication), and additional proteins that are formed during the process of wheat digestion, such as deamidated gliadin and gliadorphins (aka gluteomorphins). (6)

Another possibility is that both the placebo and low-gluten groups were reacting to the whey protein. Whey is >99% casein- and lactose-free, which is what most people who are sensitive to dairy react to. However, it is certainly possible for people to react adversely to whey, and in my experience this is more common with patients with digestive problems. If some of the “placebo” and low-gluten patients were, in fact, sensitive to whey, then that would invalidate the results of the study.

How to find out if you’re sensitive to wheat, gluten, or both

This study showed that for people with IBS on a low FODMAP diet, eating isolated gluten does not cause symptoms. But one might ask: who cares? Do you eat isolated, purified gluten? Do you know anyone who does? I doubt it. People eat wheat—not gluten. And as both this study and numerous other studies have demonstrated, there are several components of wheat other than gluten that cause problems.

In practical terms, this study still supports the idea that patients with IBS should avoid wheat, because it contains FODMAPs and possibly other compounds that make them feel worse. What this study does tell us is that it’s possible that IBS patients may be able to tolerate other non-wheat products that contain gluten, presuming they are low in FODMAPs and other compounds that they may react to.

Here’s the best way to determine if this is true for you:

1. Remove all gluten-containing foods and products from your diet for 60 days.
2. At the end of the 60 day period, cook up a bowl of barley, eat it, and see what happens.
3. A few days later, eat a piece of wheat bread.

Barley is a gluten-containing grain that is low in FODMAPs. If you react to it, that suggests you’re intolerant of gluten or other gluten-like compounds. If you don’t react to barley, but you do react to the wheat bread, that suggests you are intolerant to something in wheat specifically.

You may be able to safely consume gluten-containing products other than wheat—though it’s worth pointing out that many of these products (primarily grains and processed foods) would not be foods you should be consuming regularly anyways.

Is “non-celiac wheat sensitivity” a better label?

If there’s an important takeaway from this study, it’s this: non-celiac wheat sensitivity may be a different clinical entity than non-celiac gluten sensitivity. The former would be used to describe patients that are intolerant of wheat, but are able to eat other gluten-containing foods without symptoms. The latter would apply to patients who are sensitive to any food or product that contains gluten, including wheat. In fact, this distinction was originally proposed by researchers in response to another study which found no effects of gluten in patients on a low FODMAP diet. (7)

Now I’d like to hear from you. Are you ready to give up on the idea that you’re gluten sensitive after reading this study? Why or why not? Have any of you already done the experiment that I suggested above? What did you discover?

Source: http://chriskresser.com/is-gluten-sensitivity-real/

Understanding gluten 認識什麼是麩質

So, what is gluten?

Some people cannot eat gluten for medical reasons.

But many people don’t eat it because they think it will make them gain weight or some fitness instructor told them not to or because everyone is talking about it.

Ten years ago, no one in the food industry was talking about it.

Recently, Jimmy Kimmel did a segment asking “gluten-free” people at a popular exercise spot one simple question: What is gluten?

Sadly, not one person got it right.

They had no idea what gluten is or why they should or should not be eating it.

The truth is, unless there is a medical reason, you shouldn’t eliminate entire food groups from your diet.

By definition, gluten is a substance (protein) present in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale, some oats and several other grains. It causes illness in people with celiac disease and gluten allergies.

There are major problems with the gluten-free movement, including a lack of education.

For those with legitimate problems, going on a gluten-free diet can be life-changing. They share the good news with friends and family — inadvertently giving them false hope that it will make them feel better, too.

Going gluten-free will not help you lose weight and will not make you feel better if your body is able to digest it.

It isn’t uncommon to see someone on a “gluten-free diet” at the bar enjoying a beer because they have no idea what gluten is. It’s difficult to find beer that is not a direct derivative of gluten.

On the flip side, the gluten-free fad has created a stigma in the food industry.

When someone with a real illness or allergy comes into a restaurant, some servers don’t take it seriously when patrons say they are on a gluten-free diet.

They think it is a fad or the person is overdramatizing their situation.

That is a huge problem because gluten problems are serious.

A person with an illness or allergy could be sick for days or weeks from minimal exposure to gluten.

Only 20 parts per million, comparable to one drop of food coloring in a gallon of water, is enough to cause illness for some, and the levels of illness can vary greatly from person to person.

Servers don’t understand that picking the croutons off the top of the salad isn’t enough.

They don’t understand that gluten-free pasta cannot be cooked in the same pot that was just used for regular pasta.

This is why education is imperative.

If you own a restaurant, don’t put your establishment in a libelous situation where someone could become very ill or die because your staff doesn’t understand the seriousness of celiac disease and food allergies.

If your team isn’t properly trained, you could be held legally responsible if an incident occurs.

Source: http://www.heraldmailmedia.com/life/columns/understanding-gluten/article_932472ec-59dc-554a-9e4b-631c23373990.html

急性食物敏感 嚴重者可致命

家庭醫生劉秉純表示，食物過敏症反應，有輕微及嚴重、長期及急性之別。如果是急性食物過敏症反應病發，最嚴重的足以致命。
劉秉純表示，如對某類食物有輕度過敏反應的，如花生、奶類、海鮮、雞蛋等，且早已知道，便應忍口忌食。如一時不慎食了對自己有過敏反應的食物，有輕微反應症狀，如皮膚痕癢、紅腫、呼吸不暢，可即時到藥房買過敏特效藥服食。這些過敏特效藥通常是不用醫生處方，但只能讓過敏反應減輕。隨後最好盡快看醫生。

注意病徵及早求救

「如是急性嚴重的過敏症反應，病徵是全身腫脹、滿面緋紅、呼吸困難，甚至封喉，就應該立刻打911求救。因為最嚴重的足以致命。」
劉秉純表示，不要忽視食物過敏症反應，因為是可大可小的，而且敏感源都是日常接觸到最普通的食物。所以如果發現有食物過敏症

徵狀，首先，不要繼續進食該些食物。二，如果食了，起了過敏反應，就要立刻想辦法平伏，如服食特效藥、看醫生。三，讓醫生診斷，查清楚才可預防。對於Allerject腎上腺素自動注射器，劉秉純表示，這是用於急性過敏反應，不少學校都鼓勵有食物過敏症的學生，攜帶上學，以備急用。

資訊來源: 

http://news.singtao.ca/toronto/2015-05-06/canada1430899981d5564868.html

Dr說】益生菌一吃就不便秘？小心其實是＿＿

不少人補充益生菌後，便秘的問題獲得改善，但也有人擔心，長期吃是不是會養成依賴性，或不吃後是否又會開始便秘。汐止國泰醫院胃腸肝膽科主任楊瑞能說，食用益生菌確實可調整腸道環境、減少便秘，但一般而言要吃3至6個月才有效果，所以若一吃即刻見效，那可能不是真的益生菌，而是瀉藥。
 
楊瑞能表示，服用益生菌使腸道環境改善後，即無需持續使用，因此不必擔心依賴性，也不會一不吃就馬上便祕，但要注意益生菌僅可治標，若引起便秘的危險因子一直沒有消失，例如水喝太少、蔬果吃太少等，便秘還是會再發生。（邱俊吉／台北報導）

資訊來源: http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20150501/602170/

家有過敏兒 錯誤觀念誤治療

（中央社記者龍珮寧台北30日電）醫學會調查548個有過敏兒的父母，結果發現逾5成家長不知過敏是全身性疾病，65%通常是在小孩症狀嚴重時才帶孩子就醫。

台灣兒童過敏氣喘免疫及風濕病醫學會公布「兒童過敏照護，爸媽認知大調查」，針對548個家中有過敏兒父母進行調查，發現有5成過敏兒症狀1週至少發作1次，有的孩子甚至天天發作。

父母是直接照顧孩子的長輩，不過調查顯示高達5成父母不知道過敏是全身性疾病，65%家長通常是在小孩過敏症狀嚴重時才會帶孩子就醫。

台灣兒童過敏氣喘免疫及風濕病醫學會理事長葉國偉說，當孩子過敏症狀嚴重時才就醫則身體可能已出現多種過敏反應，醫師給予治療全身性症狀時，只能先暫時舒緩兒童過敏症狀，減少過敏帶來不適。

他說，面對過敏，最重要的是預防過敏症狀，減少吃藥機會，95%父母會花錢採購相關產品，如51.8%買防塵、防蟎寢具、46.2%會買空氣清淨機、42.3%會買保健食品，但有6成父母不知買這些產品是否會改善病情。

醫學會秘書長楊曜旭說，過敏是全身性疾病，許多家長在孩子過敏症狀輕微時，都沒有放在心上或尋找偏方，直到過敏嚴重才就醫時，醫師只能對症狀治療，若症狀好轉就不再治療，這是錯的；應在第一時間了解過敏原，對症下藥，才能有效長期控制過敏反應，減少發病次數。

資料來源: http://www.cna.com.tw/news/ahel/201504300060-1.aspx

忽略過敏預防 小心寶寶體重過輕、矮人一等

父母都希望孩子能夠頭好壯壯，成長曲線不輸人，常見家長用盡心思，幫寶寶補充各種營養，就是不希望寶寶發育慢半拍。在成長的過程中，幼兒體重過輕、長不高，門診時被告知幼兒生長曲線落後，是所有新生兒父母最怕聽見的，臨床研究發現，幼兒生長曲線異常，有可能是過敏惹的禍！

彰化秀傳紀念醫院小兒氣喘，過敏免疫及風濕專科和小兒心臟專科郭業文醫師指出，晚上10點到1點是生長激素分泌的高峰期，睡眠品質是影響孩子生長的重要因素。但過敏症狀包含皮膚癢、呼吸道不適等，都很容易造成寶寶夜晚淺眠、睡不好，導致細胞的新陳代謝就會受到影響，當然就會影響寶寶的生長曲線。建議家長，務必把握孩子一到三歲的過敏易感期，及早幫寶寶調整體質。

導致過敏的因素主要分為「環境」與「飲食」2大類。因此正確的過敏預防對策應「環境清潔」與「慎選飲食」缺一不可！根據門診觀察，很多家長僅使用防塵螨被套、空氣清淨機等方式幫寶寶預防過敏。要特別提醒，環境固然重要，但更不能忽略飲食！尤其，寶寶的腸胃功能尚未發育完全，對於外來的蛋白質很容易有過敏反應，不可輕忽，一旦被誘發過敏現象，就回不去了！

母乳中含有多種抗體及免疫球蛋白，對於免疫系統尚未發展完全的寶寶，提供了強而有力的保護，建議媽媽要盡量哺育母乳。一歲後，雖已可以攝取副食品，但配方奶仍是寶寶不可或缺的營養來源，建議選擇水解技術製成的「部分水解蛋白配方」銜接母乳，持續喝到三歲，由內而外，幫寶寶打好底子。

一般配方奶的牛奶蛋白分子較大，(約介於14000~67000 道爾吞之間)，免疫系統極有可能視之為過敏原，這些被視為過敏原的牛奶蛋白一旦進到寶寶未發育健全的腸胃道後，容易誘發過敏。「部分水解蛋白配方」能將容易引起刺激的大分子蛋白質分解成小分子(約3000~5000 道爾吞)，同時培養幼兒的口服耐受性，由內而外打好底子，幫助調整體質。許多人會誤以為，營養在水解過程中會流失，其實不然，僅是將容易引起刺激的大分子蛋白質分解成小分子，但牛奶中的營養價值仍是完整的。

特別提醒家長，幼兒一旦誘發過敏，隨之而來的過敏症狀，除了過敏性鼻炎、異味性皮膚炎等，更會影響到寶寶的生長發育。家長務必把握3前歲預防過敏關鍵期，兼顧「環境清潔」與「慎選飲食」，才能有效提早做好過敏預防。

資訊來源: http://n.yam.com/nownews/life/20150428/20150428000455.html

Pollution among the factors causing more allergies among children – 污染問題導致小朋友過敏的情況日趨嚴重

Three-quarters of parents with at least one child under the age of three report that the child has allergies, a study shows - and researchers warn the figure will grow.

Some 58 per cent of the youngsters had eczema or a skin allergy, 32 per cent had rhinitis or hay fever and 25 per cent airway allergies such as asthma. Some of the children suffered more than one type of allergy.

The findings of the survey by the Allergy Association, commissioned by the University of Hong Kong, were based on interviews with 511 parents.

Only 30 per cent of the children were believed to have inherited the condition from their parents - meaning the rest might be down to factors such as pollution, exposure to second-hand smoke, caesarean delivery or not being breastfed exclusively in their first six months.

"We have seen many more allergy cases in this generation than the last," said Dr Marco Ho Hok-kung, chairman of the association.

"I believe the number is only going to rise in the future, in keeping with the global trend. It is vital to understand the risk of allergies and take preventive measures."

Allergies could affect the long-term growth of infants, said Ho. Some research suggests that infants who develop an allergy before the age of two have a 24 per cent increased risk of developing emotional problems later in life.

Families with children suffering from allergies often have to devote a lot of effort to preventing exposure to allergens such as peanuts, milk or seafood in meals and dust mites at home.

According to the World Health Organisation, 40 to 50 per cent of children across the globe are bothered by one or more types of allergy.

Ho said if either parent had an allergy, there was a 30 per cent chance of their child inheriting it. This increased to 50 per cent if both parents were sufferers. And in general, every child has 5 to 15 per cent chance of developing an allergy even if neither parent has the condition.

Paediatrician Dr Alfred Tam Yat-cheung said risks could be attributed to environmental factors such as pollution and exposure to second-hand smoke. They could be reduced by giving birth naturally and feeding the babies only breast milk in their first six months, he said.

Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1779627/pollution-among-factors-causing-more-allergies

轉季溫差大 敏感咳增兩成

經常「咳極唔斷尾」兼喉嚨痕癢甚至氣喘，服咳水未有改善，或是俗稱「敏感咳」的氣管敏感作怪。呼吸系統科專科醫生黃敬恩表示，正值春夏轉季，加上早晚溫差較大，是氣管敏感發作高鋒期，近兩個月接獲的求診個案比今年初增兩成，不少病人受久咳不癒困擾。各種致敏原如貓毛及塵蟎是敏感咳嗽元凶，與傷風引起的咳嗽不同，患者服一般咳水未必對症下藥，隨時令咳嗽持續。

貓毛二手煙可引發

氣管敏感可致氣管內壁發炎，致敏原及刺激物是兩大誘發元凶，患者發作時會有咳嗽、氣喘、喉嚨痕癢等症狀，常見於晚上或「講嘢太多」。致敏原包括塵蟎、貓毛、曱甴、霉菌等，雞蛋、牛奶和果仁等食物也可致敏。患者接觸或進食有關物品，會刺激體內的發炎細胞並產生化學物，引致氣管敏感症狀。刺激物如吸煙、二手煙、化學品如漂白水，或出入溫差大的環境，如進入冷氣房、晚上氣溫驟降等。當冷空氣或刺激物進入氣管，會令氣管收窄，致呼吸困難、乾咳等症狀。如環境乾燥喉嚨變乾，氣管也較易敏感。

持續咳超過三星期

一般傷風可引起咳嗽，但與敏感咳有分別。傷風引起的咳嗽多與病毒感染有關，但沒有針對性藥物，主靠紓緩性治療及患者免疫系統「打敗」病毒才會康復，傷風咳嗽一般在3星期內可痊癒，患者或同時有其他症狀，如發燒、喉嚨痛、濃痰或綠色的痰。相反，氣管敏感引起的咳嗽，較少出現發燒、喉嚨痛等症狀，咳嗽時間或會多於3星期，甚至以數月計。患者可留意發作時的情景，例如是否受到致敏原或刺激物誘發，尤其在空氣污染指數較高的日子，在旺區馬路吸入車輛廢氣，便會咳過不停。

喝熱飲可放鬆氣管

氣管敏感患者可進行測試，找出致敏原及盡量避免，如減少接觸貓隻。若要使用漂白水等化學品，應保持空氣流通及戴口罩。患者避免喝凍飲及停留在「風口位」，有助預防氣管受刺激。外國有研究發現多吃蔬果、多運動及休息，可提升免疫力，減少敏感發作。另外，熱飲及熱食可放鬆氣管，發作時不妨飲熱茶作紓緩，蜜糖也可滋潤喉嚨，減低氣管敏感。要預防冷空氣侵襲氣管，外出宜佩戴頸巾作保護。

服咳藥水不能根治

一般治療咳嗽的藥水多為中樞神經的抑制劑，即是會影響大腦的中樞神經，令到患者停止咳嗽反應。
但咳嗽若由氣管敏感引起，服用咳水後或會輕微紓緩，惟咳水不能放鬆氣管，無法解決氣管收窄問題，故只能治標不治本，當停止服咳水後仍會發作。其實患者只要接受適當診治，包括服用放鬆氣管藥物便可痊癒。

資料來源:  http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20150428/19128254