Don’t wait until the “advanced” stage to see a doctor. Early prevention is the most important. We often see many “advanced” patients coming to us for allergen testing. This advanced stage is not the same as “advanced cancer”, but, because of the irreversible pathological changes that have occurred, the effect of treatment is not satisfactory. For example, patients with asthma have reached a severe and persistent stage, and the condition has not been well controlled for many years. When he comes to us and asks for an allergen check, we must first check his lung function, which may have reached the point where it can be described as “ruined”. At this point, even with the most expensive and best drugs, the lung function can barely maintain normal activities, and the quality of life is seriously reduced. Another example is the importance of controlling asthma in children, as poorly controlled asthma in children can lead to limited lung function. Many adults recall having “bronchitis” in childhood, which was not well controlled. During development, this can result in lung function not keeping up with that of their peers, and in adulthood, even in the absence of respiratory symptoms such as asthma, their lung function reserve lags behind the normal range of lung function for their peers. One of my patients’ lung function in “normal conditions” (without any symptoms) is only 30% of that of a normal person. She recalls that she had “bronchitis” every year when she was a child, and I think that if she had been treated earlier, she would not have had to go to the hospital. The same goes for skin allergies. Early eczema, if the cause can be identified, is actually a completely preventable and treatable disease, but many people do not realize this, until the very serious stage, the secondary lesions are very serious, the skin barrier has been severely damaged, any stimulation may lead to the exacerbation of dermatitis, then it may be too late to investigate the allergens. My patients have taught me with their health lessons that prevention must be the main focus in allergic diseases. Therefore, the concept of prevention should always be firmly in the mind of the physician. Do not usually not care and wait until an emergency comes, or even shock, or until the disease is very advanced, only to be overwhelmed by the flood of fear. Prevention is as important as buying an insurance policy for your health in general. Second, to maintain the right mindset after getting sick In my clinic, I have observed that different patients’ perceptions of disease and health really vary a lot. When I see some patients, especially those with chronic diseases, I feel that their discomfort may be due to a large extent to their own psychology, or because they do not know enough about the disease. They are either overly concerned about their health and anxious and have too high and unrealistic expectations of treatment; or they blindly deny their disease state and deceive themselves; or they ignore the details they should pay attention to, or take the bull by the horns and become too paranoid; many are too pessimistic and depressed. For these are obviously not the right mindset, so their compliance tends to be lower, they do not listen to doctors’ advice, and their prognosis tends to be worse and a little more costly. Some people are very optimistic and will communicate well with you, describing their symptoms to you in a very organized way, from which you can feel his optimism about life; at the same time, he will also listen to your advice very humbly and communicate his ideas to you. Such patients tend to have a better mindset, and many of them become almost good friends, trusting and appreciating each other during years of treatment. They also tend to have a better prognosis. Your attitude towards life determines whether you are happy or not. Life is a mirror; if you laugh at him, he laughs, if you cry at him, he cries. We get sick in large part because our immune surveillance functions and defenses have declined, and our immune system needs us to keep a smiling face and needs to be happy and laughing more than three times a day. If you can laugh happily, probably diseases will also be infected by you and turn away from you. The state of mind determines the degree of your health. If you have trouble sleeping and eating, heavy heart, you will look extra old, but also prone to disease; if you are kind-hearted, loving, curious about the outside world, simple and natural life, health is certainly more willing to be your friend. Third, any disease requires comprehensive treatment I believe that, when you have a disease, drugs are only one aspect, basic treatment is also very important. As far as the characteristics of our department are concerned, it is necessary to avoid allergens as well as to pay attention to maintaining a balanced state of mind. We often feel that in a patient who is an asthmatic in the outpatient clinic, he often also has other allergic diseases, such as rhinitis and dermatitis, and these allergic diseases may be somehow related. If the symptoms of one system are controlled, it is possible that the other symptoms will also get better. At the same time, the usual health needs to be maintained. So if you are concerned about your health, you should usually deposit money into your health bank. These measures include eating healthily and exercising properly, and doing it well is the same as reinforcing the Great Wall of Health. Fourth, follow-up visits and the importance of building a trusting doctor-patient relationship The development of diseases takes some time. Perhaps hay fever patients start with just a few sneezes during the allergy season, but after a few years, they may develop asthma, or some patients develop and food allergies (because of the cross-allergic reactions between airborne allergens and possible food allergens). This requires a very good follow up between the doctor and the patient. It also requires a good doctor-patient relationship. A normal doctor-patient relationship would be one of mutual trust and respect. I feel very happy that this is the case with many of my patients, and I value the trust they have placed in me! Also, many patients may not have much of a problem, but just want to talk to you about their discomfort and confusion or anxiety. We, as doctors, must listen patiently, which may be more effective than expensive medication. Many patients are afflicted by diseases and have a very poor quality of life, and when they have a chance to talk to the doctor, he will leave in a happy and comfortable mood. This in itself is also a kind of treatment.