Humidity can actually cause delayed damage to allergies?!

Regular readers of Dr. L's articles know that the impact of environmental factors on health has always been a key point Dr. L emphasizes, because...Environmental factors are often difficult to detect, but they can frequently lead to chronic health hazards.In this article, Dr. L would like to share with you that...【humidity】This environmental factor,"Delayed damage" to allergies! (For information on the impact of temperature/humidity on perceived temperature, please refer to...)This article)

References published in a prestigious international journal in 2024. BMC Public Health ofpaperThe study, titled "Impact of temperature and relative humidity variability on children's allergic diseases and critical time window identification," collected data from children who underwent allergen testing at the outpatient clinic of Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Children's Hospital between July 2020 and January 2022. A total of 6,141 children were included, of whom 3,304 were patients with allergic diseases (case group) and 2,837 were healthy controls.

In the data section, the research team categorized temperature and relative humidity according to percentiles: extremely cold/extremely low, moderately cold/low, moderately hot/high, and extremely hot/extremely high. They then used a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) and a binomial regression model to assess the lag effects of exposure to different temperatures/humidities on different types of allergic diseases at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. The key findings of the paper are listed below:

▌Temperature section

1. Low temperature (extremely cold and moderately cold):andSkin allergywithAllergic diseasesIncreased riskSignificant positive correlation(The risk was most significant during the 28-day lag observation period).
2. High temperatures (moderate and extreme heat): associated with a reduced risk of food allergies (negative correlation).

▌Humidity section

1. Low humidity: associated with a reduced risk of respiratory allergies, skin allergies, and general allergic diseases.
2. Extremely high humidityIt is associated with a reduced risk of respiratory allergies; however, it may...Significantly increases the risk of skin allergies, food allergies, and allergic diseases in general.The risks.

▌Sensitive Groups

Changes in ambient temperature and humidityChildren under 5 years oldas well asgirlAllergic diseases have a more pronounced impact.

In summary, fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity are closely related to the occurrence of allergic diseases, and the effects on different types of allergies (respiratory, skin, food) vary, with a cumulative lag effect of up to 28 days.

Dr. L believes that the impact of environmental factors on health is a continuous process, and it's not only a concern during periods of extremely high humidity. Especially in Taiwan, surrounded by the sea and with consistently high humidity, the delayed health effects of humidity can become long-term consequences. In such a living environment…It is recommended that everyone place a suitable dehumidifier at home to keep the indoor humidity within a suitable range (approximately 551 t/3 t/3 to 651 t/3 t/3), which can effectively reduce the risk of allergies.

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📚 References

1. Yu, S., Bigambo, FM, Zhou, Z., Mzava, SM, Qin, H., Gao, L., & Wang, X. (2024). Impact of temperature and relative humidity variability on children's allergic diseases and critical time window identification. BMC Public Health, 24, 2068. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19573-9

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