|
||
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
Astrology
Chat
Cityscape
Classifieds
Entertainment
Health
Matrimonial |
|
Allergy Corner- Chennai Pollen Watch Allergy is defined as a hypersensitivity reaction and denotes a condition in which an immune response results in exaggerated or inappropriate reactions that are harmful to human beings. Allergic reactions are provoked by encounters with atmospheric biopollutants such as pollen, mold spores, animal dander, insect scales, etc. Among the natural atmospheric pollutants responsible for producing allergic manifestation the pollen of the flowering plants contribute a major source. Pollen grains represent the male reproductive unit of plants. The flowering plants are capable of emitting sizable amount of pollen into the ambient air and are transmitted through the air stream. These pollen grains have been implicated in causing diseases like asthma, nasobronchial allergy, allergic rhinitis together with eye, skin and respiratory disorders. The variation in the atmospheric pollen count directly influence the manifestation of allergic symptoms in sensitive individuals. Continuous air monitoring, therefore, is absolutely necessary for proper and correct diagnosis and subsequent treatment of allergies caused by pollen grains. In this context the airborne pollen grains of Chennai city is continuously monitored using spore trap at five different sites in Chennai and these results will be published in "Allergy Corner" of your chennaionline.com (Fact File: The clinical studies conducted on 1,555 patients showed that 20.25% of Chennaites are allergic to pollen grains).
The figure represents the results of continuous pollen monitoring conducted during the period Feb 16 - Feb 22. The monitoring is done by exposing an adhesive coated glass cylinder in the Vertical Cylinder Trap for a period of 24 hours, installed at a height of 15 meters in 5 different zones [Royapettah, Anna Nagar, Villivakkam, Washermanpet, Gandhi Mandapam] in the city of Chennai. The results are presented as mean of all five sites. Though the atmosphere of Chennai consists of a large number of pollen types only a few are represented in the figure according to their dominance. This week's report shows the predominance of Prosopis juliflora [Velikaruvel], Casuarina equisetifolia [Savukku], Amaranthaceae, Mangifera indica [Mamarum], Cocos nucifer [Thennai] and Cassia siamea [Manjakonnai]. As Prosopis juliflora is widely distributed in Chennai and is in flowering, its pollen accounted for 21.68% of the total and occupied first place. It was followed by Casuarina equisetifolia [20.71%] which is also in flowering. The pollen belonging to the family Amaranthaceae contributed around 12.94%. The other significant contributors are Mangifera indica [5.82%], Cassia siamea [4.69%] and Cocos nucifera [3.88%]. A total of 31 different types of pollen grains were identified. [Fact file: Among the 2180 patients reporting respiratory allergy in Chennai 48.66% were found below the age group of 30]. Compiled by: V.Raju, B.P.R.Vittal, N.K.Udaya Prakash, T.Janaki & S.Bhuvaneswari. Asthma and Allergy Research
Institute, Raju Hospitals, T.Nagar, Chennai - 17 Queries directed to: chennaipollen@yahoo.co.in |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Copyright
2008, Chennai Interactive
Business Services (P) Ltd. |
|
Casuarina equisetifolia
Prosopis juliflora
Others
Amaranthaceae
Mangifera indica
Cassia siamea
Cocos nucifera