On April 1 Gottlieb Allergist Offers Official Allergy Count for the Midwest
Newswise — For allergy sufferers, April Fool’s Day means something better than a good laugh. It means the start of the daily Gottlieb Allergy Count, a helpful predictor of how they should manage their symptoms.
On Friday, April 1, at 5 a.m., Dr. Joseph Leija, an allergist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, will climb the stairs to the rooftop of the Gottlieb Professional Building in Melrose Park where he maintains a special pollen-catching machine. As he has for the past decade, Dr. Leija will carry samples down to his office, which he will examine under a microscope and formulate the official allergy count for the Midwest. He will do this every business day for the next six months through October, the end of the pollen-reporting season.
The allergy count is made available to the public this year through Twitter, as well as in English and Spanish through the Gottlieb Allergy Hotline (1-866-4-POLLEN and 1-866-ALERGIA) and at the Gottlieb Web site, www.GottliebHospital.org. “It has been a very wet winter so there will be many respiratory irritants resulting in coughing and inflamed nasal passages caused by mold spores,” said Dr. Leija, who is the only allergist in the Midwest certified by the National Allergy Bureau to offer the official allergy count. “Chicago air quality is very poor due to pollution, weather conditions and plant life and, statistically, we have more people than the average who suffer from symptoms such as scratching, runny noses and watery eyes.”
By knowing the counts for tree, grass, weed, mold, pollen and ragweed, allergy sufferers can control their symptoms through behavior modification and by tailoring their medication with the help of their physician. The Gottlieb Allergy Count is used by area weather reporters who rely on Dr. Leija as the regional expert on allergies.
Dr. Leija and the National Allergy Bureau recommend the following preventive measures for those with allergies during allergy season: Minimize outdoor activity when pollen counts are high. Peak pollen times are usually between 7 and 10 a.m. Shut windows in your house on days when pollen counts are high. Use your air conditioner for temperature control instead. When gardening or mowing the lawn, wear a filter mask. Wash your hair at night before sleeping to remove excessive pollen and potential allergens that could cause irritation.#
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