Asthma, rhinitis, other respiratory diseasesA springtime Olympics demands special consideration for allergic athletes☆
Section snippets
Aerobiologic monitoring
Aerobiologic monitoring was performed at two Olympic sites, Homebush and Blacktown, in 1997 and 1998 and also at Penrith in 1998. Homebush is the main Olympic venue and will be the site for many sports, including track and field events, hockey, baseball, and swimming. Blacktown, a Western Sydney suburb, will host softball and is close to the equestrian center and Velodrome. Penrith, at the foot of the Blue Mountains, is the venue for rowing, canoeing, and kayaking.
Burkard 7-day volumetric spore
Aerobiologic survey
The 1997 and 1998 pollen counts for the venues are shown in Figs 1 and 2. In 1998, there was uncharacteristically high rainfall at the end of winter, resulting in very high pollen peaks in September and October. Although the winter rainfall in 1997 was below average, the pollen counts still reached high levels. Tree
Discussion
The pollen surveys confirm that individuals allergic to pollen will be exposed to significant levels of pollen during the period of Olympic preparation and competition. Although pollen grain prevalence in the atmosphere is easily assessed, it is not known at what level various pollens will induce symptoms in sensitized individuals. In other words, there is no firm dose-response curve established for pollen sensitivity. In a study of British subjects,3 ambient grass pollen levels of 20 grains/m3
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Cited by (102)
How to detect young athletes at risk of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction?
2022, Paediatric Respiratory ReviewsICON: Diagnosis and management of allergic conjunctivitis
2020, Annals of Allergy, Asthma and ImmunologyCitation Excerpt :It also can be seen in the athletic population exposed to chlorinated swimming pools. Appropriate management of symptoms with safe, effective, and permitted medications needs to be addressed to not compromise the athlete's performance ability or interfere with their ability to compete.57-61 In addition, tear film dysfunction should be considered high in this population.
Exercise and Sinonasal Disease
2018, Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North AmericaCitation Excerpt :In another series of 265 athletes selected for the Sydney Olympic Games, the prevalence of positive SPT was 32% and 25% of athletes had clinical rhinitis.32 A questionnaire-based study from Katelaris and colleagues31 demonstrated a lower quality of life in pollen-allergic athletes, which improved as the pollen count declined. Many athletes presumably have nonallergic, noninfectious rhinitis (NANIR) or nonallergic rhinitis (NAR) based on population data,33 although the specific prevalence data for athletes are not currently available.
Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction: Background, Prevalence, and Sport Considerations
2018, Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North AmericaTrans-disciplinary research in synthesis of grass pollen aerobiology and its importance for respiratory health in Australasia
2015, Science of the Total Environment
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Reprint requests: Constance H. Katelaris, Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, 2145, Australia.