MAYWOOD, Ill. -- Increased Pollen, Mold Make 2012 Allergy Season Already "One of the Worst.
WHAT:
Pollen is already in the air in historic highs due to the mild winter and is creating an increase in irritation in allergy sufferers. Dr. Joseph Leija, allergist, who performs the official allergy count for the Midwest on behalf of the National Allergy Bureau, will perform an initial count for the season on Monday, March 12.
WHO:
Dr. Joseph Leija, allergist at Loyola’s Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, is solely certified by the National Allergy Bureau to perform the daily official allergy count for the Midwest, from April – October. Due to the mild winter season, he is seeing a dramatic increase in those suffering from respiratory illness and allergies. Dr. Leija will sporadically begin reporting the count three weeks early due to high pollen and mold reports nationally.
For more than two decades, Dr. Leija has risen before sunrise to collect specimens from his pollen catching-machine atop Gottlieb and deliver the count to the public by 7 a.m. The Gottlieb Allergy Count is available in English, Polish and Spanish, through Twitter; at Gottliebhospital.org and in English at 1-866-4-POLLEN (476-5536). The Midwest experienced four air-quality alerts for dangerously high mold counts during the 2011 allergy reporting season, making it one of the worst in a decade.
“2012 is already shaping up to be another bad season for those with respiratory conditions,” says Dr. Leija.
WHEN:
Dr. Leija will perform an early Gottlieb Allergy Count for the 2012 allergy reporting season:
WHY:
Dr. Leija is available to talk with reporters, show actual allergens, offer tips and advice, and demonstrate the allergy count atop the roof of Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park.
For media inquiries, please contact Stasia Thompson at thoms@lumc.edu or call (708) 417-5036.