Asthma and the environment.
Asthma is an environmental disease that is caused in most patients by the continual inhalation of allergens. There are many different types of indoor and outdoor allergens and the exact sensitivities to these vary between people. Thorough and continuous allergen removal is the safest and most cost-effective means of treating asthma and should be undertaken in every patient. Environmental control should be done by every asthmatic regardless of perceived or actual allergic sensitivity, both because allergy testing has a significant false-negative rate because prolonged exposure to allergen will produce new sensitivities.
Rosenstreich
David L
DL
Allergy/Immunology Division, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA.
Moday
Heather J
HJ
Hudes
Golda
G
D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D003058:Cockroaches / Q000276:immunology; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology; D005658:Fungi / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000276:immunology
D000485:Allergens