Aeroallergens

Aeroallergens are airborne antigens.

They enter the body mainly through the respiratory tract, but also through the conjunctival mucosa, epidermis and digestive tract.

The clinical expression can be variable with symptoms such as conjunctivitis, rhinitis, pharyngeal or otic pruritus, cough, asthma, or urticaria mainly. Initially it presents as rhinoconjunctivitis in the case of pollens and rhinitis in the case of mites.

At a later stage and after a variable interval, but usually months or years, asthma may be added.

Aeroallergens or inhaled allergens, depending on the priority site of exposure, can be:

Indoor aeroallergens:

Those found at home, in schools…
They generate a constant exposure that directly affects individuals, especially those at high allergic risk.
They usually produce chronic symptoms throughout the year.
There is a close relationship between sensitization to these indoor allergens and the development of asthma and allergic rhinitis².

Outdoor allergens:

They are found in open spaces.
They are most often seasonal.

Inhaled allergens (airborne).

Outdoor allergens:
- Pollen
  - Trees (olive tree, arizonian, shade plane tree…).
  - Weeds (St. John’s wort, goosefoot, chamomile).
  - Grasses (grasses: ryegrass, timothy grass, fescue).
- Fungi
  - Alternaria
  - Cladiosporum

Indoor aeroallergens:
- Dust mites
  - Domestic, storage
- Fungi

Alternaria
- Pets
  - Dog ,cat
- Insects
  - Cockroaches , moths

Bibliografía:

Aeroalérgenos: pólenes, ácaros, hongos, animales y otros. Medidas de evitación Carlos Santana Rodríguez(1), Cristina Rivas Juesas(2), Manuel Emilio García Fernández(3) (1)Unidad de Alergia y Neumología Pediátrica. Servicio de Pediatría. Hospital General de Segovia. Segovia (2)Servicio de Pediatría. Hospital de Sagunto. Valencia. (3)Unidad de Alergia Pediátrica. Servicio de Pediatría. Hospital Arquitecto Marcide. Ferrol. A Coruña Santana Rodríguez C, Rivas Juesas C, García Fernández ME. Aeroalérgenos: pólenes, ácaros, hongos, animales y otros. Medidas de evitación. Protoc diagn ter pediatr. 2019;2:65-85
Burbank AJ, Sood AK, Kesic MJ, Peden DB, Hernández ML. Environmental determinants of allergy and asthma in early life. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2017 Jul;140(1):1-12.
Capítulo 1. El libro de las enfermedades alérgicas. Editores: Dr. José Manuel Zubeldia, Dra. M.ª Luisa Baeza, Dr. Tomás Chivato, Dr. Ignacio Jáuregui y Dr. Carlos J.Senent. https://www.fbbva.es/alergia/los-responsables-de-la-rinoconjuntivitis-y-el-asma-alergicas/alergia-por-polenes-que-son-y-como-evitarlos/