HEALTH MATTERS
This week, snacks to support your gut health, sun protection for all and Dr Zoe Williams talks indoor air pollution
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Since the arrival of newborn son Lisbon,
Dr Zoe Williams is even more focused on living a healthy life – for her and those around her. But as well as advising patients on the need for a good diet, plenty of exercise and sleep, she’s also talking about the importance of the air that we breathe – both inside and out.
“It’s more important now than ever, with people spending much more time at home,” says the This Morning resident doctor (right). “We’re seeing more people coming into the clinic with symptoms of asthma and allergies.”
After teaming up with technology company Philips to raise awareness of good indoor air quality, Dr Zoe tells hello! how we can all breathe easier this summer…
How does air pollution affect our health and what can we do to protect ourselves?
“Air pollution outside can affect our health in a number of ways, especially for people who may be more susceptible – people with allergies, asthma and those who are very young and very old.
“But people are less aware of the pollution that’s inside our homes. It can be anything from two to five times more polluted inside the home than it is outside.
“Having an air purifier is one way to ensure you and your family are breathing air that is a better quality when you’re at home. The Philips 3000i Air Purifier continuously scans indoor air at 1,000 times per second to detect and remove indoor air pollutants, including dust, pollen, gases, bacteria and viruses.”
How can you tell if you have an allergy or just the common cold?
“Firstly, anybody who has a fever, new
continuous cough or a change to their sense of smell or taste should assume it is Covid until they can get a test.
“It can be really difficult to tell a cold and an allergy apart because there’s so much overlap
with symptoms. The common cold tends to be more upper airways – more sneezing and a runny nose. Hay fever is different. Most sufferers recognise their symptoms – such as itchy eyes, itchy throat and congestion. These tend to fluctuate throughout the day and taking antihistamines is likely to give some improvement.
“Something that stuck with me from medical school is there’s one part of our immune system, the IgE [immunoglobulin E] section, that’s designed to get rid of helminths – worms – and other parasites. We don’t really suffer from worms and parasites any more, so it’s as though this part of the immune system has become bored and started responding to things that are harmless, like pollen and house dust mites, and that’s what an allergy is.”
What are the most common types of allergens?
“Dust mites and animal dander can be key triggers of asthma and allergies, among other things such as chemical particles in the air. They can also travel into the home on our clothes and in our hair.
“Many things we use in the home, such as candles, cleaning products and even perfume and hairspray, can trigger allergies. They create vapours that you breathe in and can get into your bloodstream. An air purifier is a good way of removing them and the Philips air purifier also shows the pollution level in that room.”
Is it safe to take antihistamines regularly?
“Yes, lots of people take them long term. It’s worth considering things like nasal sprays and eye drops as well. We tend to
‘Air quality is more important now than ever. We’re seeing more people with symptoms of asthma and allergies’
recommend steroid nasal sprays that contain beclomethasone or a steroid called fluticasone. Many people use all three.
“A pharmacist is a good person to give advice when it comes to hay fever remedies because they’re available over the counter, but if that hasn’t worked, there are some stronger antihistamines called fexofenadine that are prescription-only.”
Are allergies hereditary?
“While people who have severe allergies are likely to have some form of allergy to that allergen for the rest of their life, allergies aren’t genetic, so it’s not inevitable that you will get them if they run in your family. But there is an increased chance. People can develop allergies at any age, but children can be quite susceptible.
“You might notice a difference when you move house, particularly with hay fever, or if you get a new job, because there might be specific pollens that you’re susceptible to. But it’s not inevitable that you will have them forever. You can sometimes grow out of them.”
What advice do you give to help our immune system?
“I always avoid the term ‘boost your immune system’ because we don’t want to boost it, we want it to be functioning at the perfect level.
“When our immune system overworks, we get autoimmune conditions. We want to support it to function optimally. We can do this by giving our body the building blocks to have a healthy immune system, so all of the nutrients you can get from a healthy diet and vitamin D – I recommend everyone take a vitamin D supplement all year round.
“Also exercising regularly, good sleep, and doing what you can to reduce stress.”