In the past 10 years, the number of families with pets has increased significantly compared with the past, which has also affected the changes of allergen spectrum of variant rhinitis in China. According to the Chinese guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis (2022, Revised Edition), the proportion of allergic rhinitis caused by pets has increased year by year in the past 10 years, with an annual growth rate of 1.3%. After raising a pet, you find yourself allergic to pet fur and dander and get allergic rhinitis. What should you do? If you don't want to abandon your pet and continue to be exposed to allergens, will allergic rhinitis be more serious and accompanied by other problems? Environment is the main pathogenic factor Professor Ni Xin, director of the National Children's medical center and President of Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, told Zhongqing daily zhongqing.com that allergic rhinitis, also known as allergic rhinitis, refers to a non infectious chronic inflammatory disease of nasal mucosa mainly mediated by immunoglobulin E (IGE) after atopic individuals are exposed to allergens (allergens). The typical symptoms of allergic rhinitis are paroxysmal sneezing, clear water like runny nose, nasal itching and nasal congestion. It may also be accompanied by eye symptoms, including eye itching, tears, red eyes and burning sensation. The fur and dander of pets raised at home are allergens that may cause allergic rhinitis. In fact, it is not uncommon for children to suffer from allergic rhinitis due to keeping pets. Therefore, Ni Xin specially reminds pet families to pay special attention to whether family members, especially children, have allergies. He suggested that if family members are found to have allergic rhinitis caused by animal fur and dander, the best way is to stay away from allergens; If you don't want to abandon pets, you can also try desensitization treatment for allergens. Ni Xin also stressed that continuous stimulation by allergens is unfavorable to the development of the disease. "If variant rhinitis is not controlled timely and effectively, it is easy to have concomitant symptoms, such as allergic conjunctivitis and secretory otitis media. It may also lead to a series of diseases such as adenoid hypertrophy and upper airway cough syndrome, and may even evolve into asthma and chronic sinusitis." Professor Cheng Lei, director of Otorhinolaryngology Department of Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital, said that the incidence of allergic rhinitis is related to the interaction between genetics and environment, but the main pathogenic factor is environmental factors. In addition to animal fur and dander, pollen and dust mites are common allergens. Some special people will also have allergic reactions to cockroaches and molds. According to the classification of allergens, allergic rhinitis can be divided into seasonal allergic rhinitis and perennial allergic rhinitis: the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis are seasonal, and the common allergens are seasonal inhalation allergens such as pollen and fungi. Seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis caused by pollen allergy is also known as pollinosis; The symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis are perennial. The common allergens are dust mites, cockroaches, animal dander and other indoor perennial inhalation allergens, as well as some occupational allergens. Neglected common diseases Allergic rhinitis is a common clinical chronic nasal disease, affecting 10% - 20% of the world's population, and has become a global health problem. According to the summary of flow survey information and relevant articles in China, Cheng Lei estimated that the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in China is about 20%, and may exceed 25% in some areas. Ni Xin said that in recent years, the global prevalence of allergic rhinitis in children has also increased significantly. Epidemiological studies in some parts of China show that the self-reported prevalence of allergic rhinitis in children is 18.10% - 49.68%, and the confirmed prevalence is 10.80% - 21.09%. Although it is a common disease, there are still many misunderstandings in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis. Although it is easy to treat rhinitis as a cold, some patients should not take the medicine to control the symptoms of rhinitis. Although it is easy to treat rhinitis as a cold, they should not take the medicine to control the symptoms of rhinitis Cheng Lei said. For parents of children, it is more difficult to distinguish between allergic rhinitis and common cold. Ni Xin specially reminded parents, "if you find your child sneezing, runny nose, always rubbing his nose for more than a week, you should go to the hospital for diagnosis." Cheng Lei believes that the common misunderstanding of patients in treatment is that the worries about medication have not been relieved. Many people will think that long-term use of nasal spray hormone has certain damage to their health. Parents are particularly worried that the use of nasal spray hormone will have an adverse impact on their children's growth and development. In addition, patients are afraid of desensitization treatment. They are worried that they will not be able to obtain the curative effect after more than three years of long-term treatment, or they are too anxious in the treatment process and hope to see the curative effect immediately, which leads to a great deviation in the treatment compliance and affects the management of the disease. Ni Xin added that in the process of treating children with allergic rhinitis, parents still have the misunderstanding of "treating" but not "preventing". Many parents see their children sprayed with drugs and their symptoms disappear, so they stop giving their children drugs, no longer take their children to the hospital for follow-up visits, and no allergen testing for their children. Ni Xin stressed that allergen detection is very important, because the "prevention" of allergic rhinitis is more important than "treatment". Only when allergens are found can we better avoid allergens and prevent allergies. Health education is essential Cheng Lei believes that good health education can improve patients' awareness of disease prevention and treatment, enhance their compliance and self-confidence in treatment, so as to optimize the treatment effect and improve the satisfaction of both doctors and patients. The World Allergy Organization proposed that health education for patients with allergic diseases can be divided into three aspects: first diagnosis education, intensive education (follow-up education) and education for families and caregivers. The main contents are as follows: first, the popularization and guidance of allergy knowledge, so that patients can understand the etiology, risk factors, natural process and possible harm of allergic diseases; The second is to inform patients of the necessity and main detection methods of allergen examination; The third is to guide patients to carry out good environmental control and avoid or minimize exposure to allergens; Finally, it introduces the role, effect, course of treatment and possible adverse reactions of drug therapy and immunotherapy, and guides patients to adjust their medication methods, doses and types. For allergic rhinitis, a common disease, "Chinese Journal of Otorhinolaryngology, head and neck surgery" has published a number of adult and child guidelines. In recent years, new research results continue to emerge. On May 20, the newly revised adult version and children's version of the guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis (2022, revised version) were officially released. Wei Junmin, President of the Journal of the Chinese Medical Association, introduced that there were 23 experts drafting the two guidelines and 67 experts participating in discussion and e-mail consultation. The two new guidelines further comprehensively elaborated the diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis, formulated optimal prevention and treatment measures and disease management plans, and emphasized the understanding of the nature of the disease and its impact on patients' health and quality of life, which can better standardize clinical diagnosis and treatment, enhance patients' compliance with treatment, and improve the overall treatment level of allergic rhinitis in China. Ni Xin said that the significance of the release of the two guidelines is that they can not only improve clinicians' understanding of the disease and standardize clinical diagnosis and treatment behavior, but also enable patient groups and children's parents to deepen their understanding of the disease of allergic rhinitis, actively seek medical treatment, adhere to long-term continuous treatment and do a good job in self-management. (outlook new era)