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Added on Apr 03, 2007 | Filed Under:

Only Official Pollen Counter in Louisiana Gives Residents Allergy Risk Information

NEW ORLEANS, LA March 21st marked the first day of Spring and many of us are already suffering from sniffling, sneezing, wheezing and watery, itchy eyes. Mother Nature is on a rampage in South Louisiana as the seasons plants are packing a potent pollen punch! These pollen and mold levels are now being measured on a daily basis by The Ochsner Department of Allergys Burkard Air Sampler. And, Ochsner is the only facility in the state conducting official pollen counts for the National Allergy Bureau (NAB). Located on the roof of the Ochsner Research Building on Jefferson Highway, the Burkard Air Sampler is closely watched by Ochsner Allergist Dr. Edward Davis and Helen Weaver, an NAB Certified Pollen Counter. It collects daily pollen and mold spore samples for the area which are also posted on the Ochsner website at www.ochsner.org. "We are seeing more than our typical number of patients coming in with severe allergy complaints," says Dr. Davis. "Last year, we didn't see as many patients with allergy problems, so it wasnt as big of a concern. But, now allergy season's back with a vengeance." So, what's an allergy sufferer to do? Dr. Davis says people with stuffed-up noses and itchy, watery eyes should spend as much time as possible indoors. Air conditioning will help to filter the air and allergy sufferers should keep their outdoors activities to a minimum early in the morning when pollen is at its worst. According to Dr. Davis, the yellow dust you see on your car comes mostly from pine and oak trees. And less rainfall than normal to blame for the high pollen count since rain removes pollen from the air. "Unless we have a rain shower, people could be having symptoms for quite some time," said Dr. Davis. Oak is also a common pollen that can cause allergy symptoms while pine is not. Also, registering particularly high right now are tree and grass pollen readings. Additional tips for allergy sufferers include wearing a mask when doing yard work and changing clothes and showering immediately after coming inside. Beware of washing pollen off surfaces which can cause it to become airborne, and therefore, cause more exposure. For more information on the Burkard Air Sampler Machine and allergy season, visit www.ochsner.org or www.aaaai.org/nab. Ochsner Health System (www.ochsner.org) is a non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system dedicated to patient care, research and education. The system includes a total of seven hospitals, a sub-acute facility, and 25 health centers located throughout Southeast Louisiana. Through our unique coordinated system, Ochsner provides healthcare with peace of mind because we put the needs of all patients first. Ochsner employs over 600 physicians in 80 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts over 700 ongoing clinical research trials annually. Ochsner was ranked #1 "Best Place to Work" by New Orleans CityBusiness Magazine in 2005 and 2006 and received the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in New Orleans for 12 consecutive years.

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