Internally Peer Reviewed Environmental controls for allergic factors requires identification of allergic substances in the household that are judged to contribute to the clinical problem. Since some of the measures are expensive and disruptive, the severity of the problem and the risk of the medications are also factors that require consideration. There are also non-allergic factors that potentially contribute to asthma such as exposure to cigarette smoke, wood burning stoves, unvented gas heaters and gas stoves, and even strong odors such as perfumes, fresh paint, etc. Sometimes a trial of a changed environment, such as at least a week or so where exposure to a suspected substance may not occur, may be a useful diagnostic test to assess the degree to which a potentially expensive or disruptive measure to change the environment may improve symptoms.
Pollens are the male sex cells that grow on the stamens of flowers.
Plants that have readily recognizable attractive flowers usually contain heavy sticky pollen that is transmitted by insects. This kind of pollen causes little respiratory allergy. It is wind-born pollen from plants that have inconspicuous flowers like wild grasses or ragweed that are the major causes of respiratory allergy. They are microscopic in size, invisible singly to the naked eye. These pollens, produced in vast quantities, are designed to carry far distances.