Experts raise warning about summer allergies

Summer is peak season for allergic diseases and people should seek timely medical attention if they develop symptoms, doctors said on Wednesday, which is also World Allergy Day.

High temperatures, skin exposure and the proliferation of fungus, bacteria, mites and mosquitoes are all reasons why allergic conditions are more prevalent in summer.

“Allergies have been named by the World Health Organization as one of the three key diseases in the 21st century. The incidence of allergic disease keeps rising in recent years. WHO says that about 22 to 25 percent of people suffer allergic diseases globally and the incidence is rising by 23 times every 10 years,” said Dr Dai Junlai from Shanghai Ren’ai Hospital. “There are some 200 million people with allergic diseases in China and there are an increasing number of adolescents suffer the disease. Moreover, there is a tendency for patients with allergies to more than one allergen or having multi-organ allergies at the same time.”

“The increase of allergic diseases can be also related to weather condition. Humid and hot weather in summer is an important reason,” Dai said. “Good ventilation indoor, avoiding long-term sunshine, avoiding food which is likely to trigger allergies and drying skin after being soaked in rain are all effective measures.”

Doctors also reminded people that pollen is an allergen and required people not to bring flowers while visiting patients.