(목요모임) [Apr. 2, 2015] Thursday meeting topic

[Scarlet]

Materials are offered by Susanna !

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pollen allergy

Each year, people with hay fever and pollen allergies suffer from various symptoms in the spring and autumn when there is abundant pollen in the atmosphere. Pollen is an allergen that can trigger allergies, particularly allergic rhinitis. 

Those who are sensitive to pollen develop symptoms ― generally at its worst from early morning to 9 a.m. ― during these seasons. The symptoms are common in children under the age of 5. From 5 to 10 years old it is more preval‎‍ent in boys than girls, but among those aged between 10 and 20, more girls are affected than boys. 

Most people are genetically prone to pollen allergies. Allergies are hypersensitive reactions to a causative agent brought on by frequent exposure to such allergens. Depending on the systems affected, allergic rhinitis, asthma, dermatitis and conjunctivitis can arise. Those who develop systemic symptoms are categorized as having anaphylactic shock.

Hypersensitivity symptoms worsen with more exposure. Initially, symptoms only arise in response to the triggers, but then, other factors such as pollution, cold conditions, exercise, particular smells and even psychological triggers can produce these symptoms. If you suffer from the same symptom at the same time of the year, you should see a doctor for allergy treatment.

Pollen allergies are divided into air-distributed pollen and insect-distributed pollen. 

Airborne allergens are more common, with smaller particles being more irritable than larger particles.The pollen from wind-pollinated flowers is generally small in size ― between 10-50 micrometers. Insects pollinate flowers such as acacia and sarubia. Pollen from birch, oak and alder trees are particularly small in size, and are major allergens. Pine pollen and willow tree pollen, which are frequently seen after rainfall, are larger in size and do not usually trigger allergies.


White fluffy pollen seen in spring is not actually pollen, but actually seeds from willow trees, aspen trees and poplar trees. These seeds generally do not cause allergy, but those with atopic dermatitis and dry or sensitive skin can sometimes develop itchiness, or develop conjunctivitis. 


Most trees release pollen from March to May, while wind-pollinated plants and weeds are more common between August and October, and September and November, respectively.

Allergic rhinitis due to pollen causes sneezing, itchiness in the nose, runny and blocked nose. This can arise together with allergic conjunctivitis. Patients may complain of poor appetite, nausea, loud snoring when sleeping, and can sound like they have a blocked nose.

When the pollen disappears, the symptoms disappear within 2-3 weeks. Depending on the causative agent, some patients may have symptoms all year, with symptoms worsening during spring and autumn.

In order to reduce the symptoms of allergy, you should avoid exposure to pollen during these seasons. Do not open the car or house windows when there is abundant pollen in the air. Make sure you shake pollen off your clothes when you return home, and brush your teeth, wash your face and blow your nose to reduce the amount of pollen on your body.

It may also help to wear a mask or glasses, and make sure you drive with your car window closed. If possible, avoid outside activities as much as possible during these seasons.

The most important treatment is prevention by avoiding causative agents, but avoiding pollen in the atmosphere is very difficult. Therefore, those who develop short-term symptoms of allergies can use antihistamines.

Antihistamines are mainly used to treat symptoms of the common cold such as runny nose, but can cause drowsiness. More recently, nondrowsy antihistamines are being used. If the symptoms are not brought under control, steroid sprays can be used in the nose. Most patients are successfully treated using a couple of different agents, and eye drops can also be used if needed.

Failure to treat the allergy can lead to worsening symptoms, so patients who initially only had allergies to the pollen can develop allergic symptoms to other substances that are present all year-round. Therefore it is important to manage pollen allergies correctly.

By Lee Byung-jae

Lee Byung-Jae is a doctor at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul and 
lectures at Sungkyunkwan Univeristy’s School of Medicine. ― Ed.

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<Questions>

1. Do you have any allergies?

2. What do you think would be the worst thing to be allergic to?

3. What would life be like if you suddenly became allergic to your favorite food?

4. What do you think… / What is… life like for hay fever sufferers?

5. What would you do if you suddenly had extreme allergic reactions to your pet / partner / best friend?

6. What are the most common allergens?

7. Why are some people allergic to eggs, wheat or peanuts while others are not?

8. What are the symptoms of allergies?

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Awake for too long

Why South Korea is one of the most sleep-deprived countries in the world

The white-crowned sparrow, a tiny North American bird, is able to stay awake for seven straight days during migration.

The bird’s remarkable ability has been the subject of research at the Pentagon for the past six years, to find a way to keep their pilots and soldiers awake for as long as possible.

In his book “24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep” published last year, Columbia University professor Jonathan Crary argues that any discoveries about the bird’s special traits will affect not only the military but also the world of work and consumer culture.

While South Korea may not know the bird’s secrets, the country is already experiencing what Crary warns in his book -- a sleepless world that “becomes a non-stop work-site or an always-open-shopping-mall of infinite choices, tasks and selections.”

One of the most sleep-deprived countries in the world, South Korea is already putting its people’s health at risk by keeping them awake too long.

A single South Korean person on average slept 6 hours and 53 minutes a night as of 2013, the lowest among the OECD.

On top of its notoriously long working hours -- among the longest in the OECD -- South Korea is also known for its 24/7 services and businesses, including convenience stores, saunas and “quick service,” a fast delivery service by motorcyclists available any time, day or night.

About 15 percent of all Koreans who are employed full time are shift workers, many of them working in health care, transportation, entertainment and security. According to the Korean NeuroPsychiatric Association, almost 25 percent of Korean shift workers suffered from sleep disorders in 2013.

Experts say that such sleep disturbances, as well as the country’s light pollution and excessive use of smart gadgets are a threat to the health of its people.

Artificial light, including the glow from electronic devices and illumination of the night sky, are thought to be the biggest causes of sleep deprivation.

“It’s like a vicious circle,” said neurologist Lee Hyang-woon, who currently heads the Epilepsy and Sleep Center at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital in Seoul.

“Those who work at 24/7 convenience stores may have sleeping disorders because they have to be up for night shifts. At the same time, because that convenience store keeps its lights on 24/7, someone else in the city may not be able to sleep.”

According to the Health Ministry, the number of Koreans who sought medical help for sleeping disorders, including insomnia, increased from 260,000 in 2009 to 380,000 in 2013.

The number of people treated for depression, which can be both the cause and result of insomnia, also increased here, from 556,000 in 2009 to 665,000 in 2013.

Lee said working night shifts, as well as sleep deprivation due to heavy workload, may lead to insomnia as well as other diseases.

“Melatonin, an antioxidant that makes us sleepy, is generally produced at night. But late shifts as well as irregular exposure to light can disrupt its production,” she said. “Melatonin is also integral to the health of one’s immune system.”

An overseas study of 120,000 nurses found that those who worked night shifts were the most likely to develop breast cancer. In 2007, the WHO’s International Agency for Research into Cancer concluded that shiftwork that involves circadian disruption probably increases the risk of cancer.

Crary predicts that once non-sleep products are aggressively promoted by pharmaceutical companies after they are used to create sleepless soldiers, the drugs would eventually become a necessity, rather than an option, for many.

Kim Joo-young, a 26-year-old call center agent in Seoul, said she would purchase such products immediately if they were available today.

She works from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. five days a week, and has suffered indigestion, mild depression and hand tremors because of the poor quality of sleep she gets from working shifts.

“What depresses me the most is that I can’t do anything during the day -- that I have to sleep when everyone else is out there doing their own things,” she said.

“At least once that drug becomes available, I would be able to do things during the day. My life would be more than just work and sleep. I don’t mind not sleeping if it means I get more time for myself.”

Yet, in Shakespeare’s words, Kim and many others would lose a lot should the drugs ever become available – “sore labor’s bath, the balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, and chief nourisher in life’s feast.”

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)

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<Questions>

1. How many hours do you usually sleep every night?

2. Do you get enough sleep? Why or why not?

3. Why South Korea is one of the most sleep-deprived countries in the world?

4. Have you found other countries close shops at early time compare to Korea. What do you think? Is it good or bad?

5. How often do you have insomnia? What advice do you have for someone who does?

6. What kinds of dreams do you usually have? Can you usually remember them?

7. Do you ever have nightmares?

8. Are you a light or a heavy sleeper?

9. Do you have any recurring dreams?

10. Is there a traditional sleeping aid in your country?

11. If you have not had enough sleep, what do you do to get by?