Dr. Adrian Morris of Surrey Allergy Clinic Tests and Treats allergies » diesel exhaust http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk Expert advice on urticaria, food allergy, asthma, skin allergy, hayfever and many other allergic conditions Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:33:59 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Air pollution and allergies http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/air-pollution-allergies/ http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/air-pollution-allergies/#comments Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:28:56 +0000 Dr. Adrian Morris http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/?p=1101 Urban air pollution is a serious public health hazard and has been associated with exacerbations of chronic respiratory illnesses due to airway mucus membrane irritation and increased oxidative stress.  However no convincing link between air pollution and allergic sensitisation has been shown in the scientific literature. We know that nitrogen dioxide, ozone and diesel exhaust particulate matter in air pollution can predispose to increased respiratory infections, aggrevate asthma, bronchiectasis and chronic bronchitis (COPD), but any link to actually triggering allergic sensitisation is less clear. Certainly diesel exhaust particles have been shown to absorb grass pollen grains and increase the pollen load in the nose and lungs, thus making hay fever and hay asthma symptoms worse for city dwellers and those living near motorways.

 Reference: Kelly FJ, Fussell JC. Air pollution and airway disease. Clinical and Experimental Allergy 2011 (41) 1059-1071

]]> http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/air-pollution-allergies/feed/ 0 Motor traffic air pollution increases allergies http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/air-pollution-asthma-allergies/ http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/air-pollution-asthma-allergies/#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:28:55 +0000 Dr. Adrian Morris http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/?p=896 In the Cincinnati study into Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution, 624 babies and toddlers of allergic parents were assessed and when exposured to a combination of high levels of indoor allergens (such as bacteria from throat infections, house dust mites and mould spores)  plus traffic air pollution, this increased their risk of developing wheezing and persistent asthma by six fold.  The well-established Hygiene Hypothesis highlights the connection between a sterile home environment in infancy and  the risk of deveoping childhood allergies.  It was the combined effect of exposure to high levels of indoor allergens (endotoxin) together with the motor car diesel exhaust fumes that seemed to be such a potent trigger for wheezing and persistent airway inflammation.  The resultant chronic airway inflammation is also known to retard long-term normal lung development.  While in children exposed to moderate levels of indoor or outdoor allergens, only 11 percent developed asthma and in those exposed to low levels of allergen but high level air pollution, 18 percent developed persistent or chronic asthma.

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/558806/?sc=mwtn

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