Hospitals are preparing for an increased number of emergency room visits as New England enters allergy “peak week,” the time of year when asthma and allergy cases surge. “Everybody said that this year is the worst year ever for pollens,” said Dr. Erin Reigh, an allergy and clinical immunology specialist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. This fall, doctors in New England are gaining a better understanding of pollen and other airborne allergies, thanks to a new pollen counting station. Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center recently received the counter, which captures particles on a sticky interior drum in the Lebanon area for examination. Reigh will analyze the particles under a microscope to identify them and send the data to the National Allergy Bureau. “This is mugwort, which is also known as sagebrush or artemisia,” said Reigh, describing one of the identified allergens. The new counter is a major asset for allergy sufferers in New England, as it is the only active one in the region. The next closest is over 300 miles away in Rochester, New York. “So you can imagine that the pollens that they’re collecting are not really representative of what our patients are experiencing,” Reigh said. Knowing the specific allergens in the area will help doctors create custom-made shots for patients. “To do this, we can get a better sense of what pollens are actually out here as opposed to sort of guessing based on what’s out in Rochester, New York,” Reigh said. You can sign up to get allergen reports from the station here.
Hospitals are preparing for an increased number of emergency room visits as New England enters allergy “peak week,” the time of year when asthma and allergy cases surge.
“Everybody said that this year is the worst year ever for pollens,” said Dr. Erin Reigh, an allergy and clinical immunology specialist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
This fall, doctors in New England are gaining a better understanding of pollen and other airborne allergies, thanks to a new pollen counting station.
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center recently received the counter, which captures particles on a sticky interior drum in the Lebanon area for examination.
Reigh will analyze the particles under a microscope to identify them and send the data to the National Allergy Bureau.
“This is mugwort, which is also known as sagebrush or artemisia,” said Reigh, describing one of the identified allergens.
The new counter is a major asset for allergy sufferers in New England, as it is the only active one in the region.
The next closest is over 300 miles away in Rochester, New York.
“So you can imagine that the pollens that they’re collecting are not really representative of what our patients are experiencing,” Reigh said.
Knowing the specific allergens in the area will help doctors create custom-made shots for patients.
“To do this, we can get a better sense of what pollens are actually out here as opposed to sort of guessing based on what’s out in Rochester, New York,” Reigh said.
You can sign up to get allergen reports from the station here.
