The Turkish National Allergy and Clinical Immunology Association (AID) held an important seminar during the World Allergy Week, which was celebrated on 18-24 June 2023 this year on the “effect of climate change on allergic diseases”. With the title "Threat to Life: Anaphylaxis, Threat to Natural Life: Climate Change", AİD's Youtube Allergy-clinical immunology doctors shared important information that will help their patients identify triggers, prevent worsening of symptoms, and maintain quality of life amid changes in their environment. The seminar, which was held with the unconditional support of VEM İlaç, was hosted by AİD President Prof. Dr. It started with the opening speech of Dilşad Mungan. AID Vice President Prof. Dr. In the broadcast moderated by Demet Can, Prof. Dr. Fazıl Orhan, Allergic Shock / Anaphylaxis, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Living with Allergy Özlem Ceylan, "Problems experienced by patients with allergic shock", Assoc. Dr. Zeynep Çelebi talked about the "Effect of the Climate Crisis on Allergy".
AYA Project was launched during World Allergy Week
Stating that they have implemented the AYA Project as part of the World Allergy Week, AİD President Prof. Dr. Dilşad Mungan explained the importance of this project as follows:
“With the treatment method we call AYA, we aim to explain to people with allergies how they should behave in case of anaphylaxis in 3 easy steps. These are the steps: Apply the Adrenaline Pen, Lie down and Keep Legs Elevated from the Ground, Call Emergency 112! consists of stages. Let's not forget that not every drug or food may be suitable for you. Bee and insect stings can affect some of us differently than other people. You may experience anaphylaxis, or allergic shock, which manifests itself with symptoms such as itching, swelling, shortness of breath and hoarseness, and fainting. In these cases, if your doctor has recommended you an adrenaline pen beforehand, you can follow the AYA steps without panic.”
Speaking at the online seminar and collecting the data in the hands of all allergy centers in Turkey, Prof. Dr. Fazıl Orhan states that anaphylaxis appears suddenly and progresses rapidly; He stated that it is a life-threatening condition in which more than one organ system is involved. Pointing out that every anaphylactic reaction has the potential to be life-threatening, Orhan said that all anaphylactic reactions should be treated with the same seriousness. Orhan also talked about their studies that mapped Turkey's anaphylaxis. We identified cow's milk and eggs as the most common cause in the first 2 years, and nuts in the third. As the age progresses, seafood is added as well. We see that honey bees cause anaphylaxis in bee venoms. In the drug category, we see the penicillin group antibiotics most frequently. In adults, we most often see anti-inflammatory drugs, namely aspirin-derived drugs whose ancestors were aspirin. In foods, peanuts and walnuts can be the most common causes of anaphylaxis in adults. Sometimes there are cases where we cannot diagnose the trigger, although anaphylaxis is present with all its symptoms.”
Özlem Ceylan, President of the Association of Living with Allergy, said that while they heard about anaphylaxis from a few patients a year, they started to hear more cases now. These drugs and bee stings are also the biggest factors. At this stage, it is very important to be cold-blooded and to have knowledge of what to do when anaphylaxis occurs. That's why the anaphylaxis video prepared within the scope of the AYA project is very instructive and important."
Assoc. Dr. Zeynep Çelebi, on the other hand, gave information about the impact of the climate crisis on allergies and said that environmental factors are very effective in the development of allergic diseases and that even allergic diseases are now being referred to as environmental diseases. Underlining that they started to breathe more hot air with global warming, Çelebi said, “This causes some cellular damage in the lower and upper respiratory tracts. It can cause changes in mucus secretion, causing narrowing in the airway. This causes exacerbation in asthma patients, increasing the complaints of cough and increased sputum. With global warming, the pollen season is getting longer. Of course, the skin is also affected. We have seen in studies that these diseases flare up more easily and become more uncontrolled in people with atopic dermatitis and eczema.