Smoke, Pollution, and Allergy

Both the development and exacerbation of allergic disease are complex processes involving many factors, both genetic and environmentally driven. Air pollution has long been recognized as a health hazard, contributing to the increased incidence and worsening of a variety of diseases, including allergic conditions. While identifying specific air pollutants to be a cause of such conditions can be difficult, a large body of data has provided significant evidence for the harmful effects of these substances. Both indoor and outdoor pollutants have been shown to have adverse health effects on allergic disease. Among the pollutants which have been linked to the presence and exacerbation of allergic disease are tobacco smoke, diesel exhaust, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, and sulfur oxides. Exposure to each of these characteristic substances has been extensively studied to determine their effects on asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and other atopic conditions.