Environmental Allergens

Our homes, schools or workplaces are indoor environments where we may be exposed to airborne allergens.  Complete avoidance of these indoor aeroallergens is not usually possible. House dust mites and pet allergens are commonly encountered indoors. House dust mites reside in mattresses, bedding, carpets and pockets of humidity.  Cat, dog or rodent allergens derived from hair or skin scales are dispersed into the indoor air. These animal particles are small enough to penetrate the nose and lungs triggering asthma in allergic individuals.  In schools, children might be exposed to rodent or cockroach allergens. Outdoor allergens including tree, grass and weed pollens can cause seasonal eye, nasal and asthma symptoms. In the Cincinnati area, trees release pollen from early March through Mid-May, grasses release pollen from mid-May through late June, and ragweed pollens are found in the air between mid-August through early October.  We can perform allergy testing to confirm allergic sensitivity to indoor and outdoor allergens. Our staff can provide information to reduce exposure to environmental allergens. Most patients affected by environmental allergies will also require effective daily medications and, in some cases, allergy injections.