[Kim Jaeho's Life Story]<238> Are You Suffering from Allergic Rhinitis?

There are quite a few people around us suffering from allergic rhinitis. Although the number of allergic rhinitis patients somewhat decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic due to extreme avoidance of going out, until 2019, about 7 million people received treatment annually, accounting for approximately 70% of the total 10 million rhinitis patients.

Unfortunately, modern medicine does not fully understand the causes of allergies such as allergic rhinitis, except for some genetic factors, and therefore considers prevention and cure of allergies impossible. As a result, it does not attempt to treat by eliminating the cause of allergies. Instead, the strategy pursued is to avoid allergenic substances identified individually as much as possible, reduce allergy occurrence through medication or some lifestyle changes, and alleviate symptoms.

Rhinitis, an inflammation of the nasal mucosa, is generally divided into acute and chronic types. Acute rhinitis is mostly caused by viral infections resulting in the common cold; it usually heals without difficulty by keeping the body warm and resting comfortably. In contrast, allergic rhinitis, which accounts for most chronic rhinitis cases, often does not easily heal even with treatment once contracted.

Allergies such as allergic rhinitis are immune hypersensitivity reactions that occur when immunity is weak. Immune cells normally eliminate pathogens like bacteria or viruses and then produce antibodies. However, when encountering harmless substances, they produce antibodies that, upon re-exposure to the same substances, release chemicals like histamine, causing inflammation in the skin, nostrils, airways, digestive tract, and other areas?this is allergy.

There is an important aspect to note about allergies including allergic rhinitis. The World Allergy Organization (WAO) estimates the prevalence of allergies by country to be between 10% and 40%. Allergies are very common, affecting more than 20% of the total population in most developed countries. They began increasing in industrialized countries during the 1960s and 1970s and have risen further since the 1980s.

In the United States, 30% of adults and 40% of children suffer from allergies, while in the United Kingdom, 44% of adults are allergy patients, with 48% of them having more than one allergy. In South Korea, 13.65 million people received treatment for allergies in 2020, accounting for 27% of the entire population. As seen in developed countries, allergy patients tend to increase as society develops, so if we do not change our lifestyle, the number is likely to rise further.

Allergens include dust, pollen, various foods, insect stings, medications such as aspirin, antibiotics like penicillin, latex, and more. Allergies manifest differently depending on which allergen affects which tissue, mainly impacting the airways, nostrils, sinuses (the inner nasal cavities), skin, and digestive organs.

What should people suffering from allergic rhinitis do when these allergies appear? Avoiding individually identified allergens can have considerable short-term effects on allergic rhinitis, but is it the best strategy? Like all diseases, if the cause of the disease is found and removed, recovery is not difficult, and prevention is also possible by the same method.

However, considering the global trend of steadily increasing allergy patients, the strategy of avoiding allergens can only be seen as temporarily and limitedly effective in preventing allergies. Moreover, some allergens include foods that certain people like, so it is regrettable that they cannot eat some delicious and nutritious foods simply because they are allergens.

The best strategy for allergies including allergic rhinitis is to avoid one’s allergens in the short term, but simultaneously, in the mid to long term, to create an environment where immune cells do not overreact and can function as genetically designed. It is necessary to abandon unhealthy lifestyle habits that make it difficult for immune cell genes to work and to practice Newstart (refer to Life Story Part 6) to create an environment where immune cell genes can work enthusiastically.

Among the eight components of Newstart, the first is Life Diet, which involves eating a variety of plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables, and grains in their whole form without selective eating. Along with this, it is important to reduce intake of sugar?which causes many problems when consumed excessively?as well as processed or refined bad carbohydrates, saturated fats, trans fats, salt, and alcohol.

Additionally, practicing the other Newstart components?exercise, water, sunlight, temperance, air, rest, trust, and love?is also important.

Jaeho Kim, Independent Researcher

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.