Allergy & Asthma Consultants,PC
4104 Old Vestal Road, Ste 108, Vestal, NY 13850
Tel (607) 729 0726 Fax (607) 729 1341
4104 Old Vestal Road, Ste 108, Vestal, NY 13850
Tel (607) 729 0726 Fax (607) 729 1341
HOME
For Office Directions click on Location & Hours Link.
Please click on these forms and print them if instructed by our office:
1. Patient Info
2. Medication Form
3. Allergy Questionaire 1 (ADOBE Reader Required)
4. Allergy Questionaire 2 (ADOBE Reader Required)
5. Hives Questionaire
6. Headache Questionaire
Dr. Mohan Dhillon and his staff welcome you to our web site. We are accepting new patients. We are the longest
operating Allergy Practice in Broome County, in service continuously since 1991. Not only do we provide state of
the art treatment for Allergic diseases and Asthma, but we also treat sinus disease, hay fever, hives, allergic skin
disease, allergic headaches, latex allergy, stinging insect reactions, occupational allergies, pregnant asthmatics
and drug reactions. We provide care in a compassionate and caring environment with emphasis on patient learning
and avoidance of triggers along with allergy desensitisation and pharmacological management. Our practice is
located full time in Broome County so that we can provide service fully dedicated to our local patients. We do not
go to satellite offices located in other counties. Our office hours are the most comprehensive in the triple cities and
we do have evening appointments. Our Office hours and Allergy Injection hours are the same and can be seen in
the LOCATION & HOURS section. Extensive patient education material can be accessed through our PATIENT
EDUCATION section. Information on the providers, Dr. Mohan Dhillon and PA Alan Geller can be seen in the STAFF
section. You can also click on the navigation bar, above the show map link, to access these pages directly.
Please scroll down for POLLEN COUNTS.
Dr. Mohan Dhillon is a board certified Allergist and Immunologist who trained at the prestigious Stanford
University. He is also the past President (2003-2004) of the Broome County Medical Society. His training included
treatment of both ADULTS and CHILDREN. His Board Certification is in Allergy and Immunology (1989) and to stay
on top of the field he recertified in 1999. He is also Board Certified in Internal Medicine. His full CV can be seen in
the STAFF section.
We are the only practice in the area that has a pollen and mold counting station. This allows us to quantify the
exact allergen load in the air. We do not have to rely on data from Rochester or other far away places that may not
accurately reflect our allergen load. Pollen and mold levels will be reported starting Mid March to October, on
Monday and Thursday (plus other days if conditions are changing). The counts will be posted here around 10:00
AM. Our counts can also be seen in the Press & Sun Bulletin and on Channel 12 (Cable 2) NEWS.
ALLERGY & ASTHMA CONSULTANTS, PC, POLLEN AND MOLD STATION IS NOW OPEN. WE WILL BE REPORTING
COUNTS ON MON. AND THU. EVERY WEEK.
COUNTS FOR 8/21/2008
Trees - ABSENT ( Pollen/cubic meter of air)
Grass- LOW 2 ( Pollen/cubic meter of air)
Weeds-MODERATE 28 ( Pollen/cubic meter of air)
Mold- LOW 512 ( Spores/cubic meter of air)
For the BROOME COUNTY the pollen season starts with the Tree pollens. Tree pollens are seen from middle of
March till late July. After July some Pine pollen can be counted until September.
Grass pollen is seen from late May through September.
Ragweed pollen is counted from early August to late October.
This is an image of Beech Pollen the highest pollen seen in early May in our pollen counts. Tree pollens are the first
to appear and cause symptoms from April to June. FOR OTHER POLLEN IMAGES CLICK ON THE LINK OR THE
PICTURE ABOVE.
All pollen is not equally allergenic. For Ragweed 0-10 pollen/cubic meter of air(pcm) is considered low, while 11-50
pcm moderate and 51-500 high. Level over 500 pcm are very high and would constitute a pollen advisory. People
with high level of allergy can have symptoms with low pollen counts while those with mild allergies need higher
numbers. For further information on reading pollen counts click on this link.
For our latest information on Cat Allergies please click on this link.
For information on Air filters please click on this link.
For information on Dust Mites please click on this link.
News and Updates
2006 SPRING ALLERGY GUIDE is available at this link.
Spring allergies and cough
If you have seasonal allergies, you may notice a lingering cough that won't go away this spring. Cough is a
common symptom of seasonal allergies such as allergic rhinitis (hayfever). In fact, cough is the most common
respiratory symptom for which patients seek medical attention, according to the American Academy of Allergy,
Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).
Allergens that trigger seasonal allergies are often common, usually harmless substances such as pollen, mold
spores, animal dander, dust, foods, insect venoms and medications. Cough is a way that the body clears particles
such as allergens and secretions from the airways.
In children, cough is divided into acute cough, lasting one to two weeks, and chronic cough, lasting more than four
weeks.
Causes of cough can include:
* Viral upper respiratory tract infections
* Nasal and sinus disease
* Stomach and esophageal problems such as GERD
* An inhaled foreign body
* "Habit"
* Environmental irritants
Treatment
Coughing does not always mean there is a problem. Usually, a simple daytime cough after viral respiratory
infections requires no specific treatment, particularly if it resolves in one or two weeks. However, coughing at night
after going to sleep is almost always abnormal and needs medical attention.
Patients should contact a doctor if a cough changes in character, trial therapy shows no signs of reducing the
cough, you begin to cough up blood and/or the cough interferes with the activities of daily living or sleep.
When to see an allergy/asthma specialist
* Have a cough that lasts 3-8 weeks or more.
* Have a cough that coexists with asthma.
* Have coexisting chronic cough and nasal symptoms.
* Have a chronic cough and tobacco use or exposure.
Many Olympic athletes suffer from exercise-induced asthma
This February, many athletes with exercise-induced asthma (EIA) will compete at the 2006 Winter Olympics in
Torino. EIA affects as many as 20% of highly competitive athletes and one in every six Olympic athletes, according
to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).
EIA is caused by airways that are overly sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and humidity, especially
when breathing colder, drier air in the winter months. During strenuous activity, people tend to breathe through
their mouths, allowing this cold, dry air to reach to reach the lower airways without passing through the warming,
humidifying effects of the nose.
People with EIA experience difficulty breathing within 5-20 minutes after exercising. Symptoms include:
* Wheezing
* Chest tightness
* Coughing
* Chest pain
* Prolonged or unexpected shortness of breath
Sports that require short bursts of energy, such as baseball, football, wrestling, golfing, gymnastics, short-term
track and field events or surfing are less likely to trigger EIA.
Swimming also has many positive factors for those with EIA. The warm, humid atmosphere, year-round availability,
toning of upper body muscles, and the horizontal position can help mobilize mucus from the bottom of the lungs.
Walking, leisure biking, hiking, and free downhill skiing are also less likely to trigger EIA. Wearing a scarf of surgical
mask in cold weather can also decrease symptoms by warming the inhaled air.
Athletes of all levels need to remember to take proper precautions if they have EIA. Exercise is beneficial to both
physical health and emotional well-being. All people with EIA should be able to exercise to their full ability with
appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Allergy guidelines: A useful summary of "The Allergy Report"--a 600 page guide for doctors and for allergy patients
has just been published as a joint effort of our major allergy societies together with the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases and 20 patient advocacy groups. Since allergic disorders kill more than 5000 people
a year and cause untold lost time from school and work, it is important to recognize, prevent and treat them. By
making comprehensive allergy information available all in one place, The Allergy Report should help this effort.
LATE-BREAKING NEWS: An important article on the effects of allergy vaccine injections (allergy shots) appears in
the Aug. 12 issue of one of the leading medical journals, the New England Journal of Medicine. This group of
researchers set about to answer the question, "Do allergy vaccine injections give lasting relief?" In a carefully
controlled trial, they found that after 3 to 4 years of treatment, patients continued to have markedly decreased
symptoms for another 3 years (and probably longer), even if they stopped their injections. This strongly supports
what we have been telling our patients for years, based on clinical observation, but now we have evidence from a
carefully controlled study on a large group of patients. Who benefits most? It appears that immunizing children and
others fairly early in the course of their disease is best, and may prevent the development of asthma. It is also
useful for patients who have long seasons and/or more than one allergen, causing symptoms to occur a large
portion of the year. It may be helpful to consider the benefits you could receive from allergy vaccine injections, if
you are not already getting them.
NEWS YOU CAN USE: IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR CHILDHOOD ASTHMA? Although allergy shots (immunotherapy) have
long been used and believed effective in children, their effect in treating and preventing asthma has been difficult
to study effectively. However, new information from a study done in Sweden involving 193 children aged 7-15 with
typical hay fever (nose and eye allergy) due to grass or birch tree pollen helps to understand the benefits of this
treatment. Half of the children were given shots containing either birch or grass pollen. After 3 years, 46% of the
children without the active treatment had developed asthma, but only 25% of the treated children did so. At 5
years, 59% of the untreated children had asthma, but the percentage in the treated group had actually dropped to
23%. This study appears to support use of immunizing injections in children with inhalant allergies as a means of
preventing asthma. (Pediatric News 33(2):48, 1999)
ASTHMA AND DUST MITE SENSITIVITY may interact to reduce lung growth in children, according to a recent report in
the American Journal of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine. Danish researchers studied a population sample of
408 children between ages 7 - 17 to determine which were allergic to dust mites, and which were asthmatic. They
then compared their pulmonary function with the non-allergic children. They found that EITHER asthma OR dust
mite sensitivity caused reduced growth of pulmonary function as measured by the FEV1 test, which we and other
asthma doctors routinely use as the main measurement of lung function. Children with both asthma and dust mite
sensitivity had the lowest growth of lung function, but even children without known asthma who just had mite
allergy had 5% lower function than normal. The reason for this is presently unknown. It may be that early
recognition of mite allergy combined with aggressive steps to eliminate mites from the environment, can prevent
this lung growth reduction, but more research is needed.
RECENT NEWS REPORTS indicate that cancer and heart disease is decreasing (the Good News!), but ASTHMA is
increasing in the U.S. and worldwide. If you think you or your child may have asthma, consider consulting us at
Allergy and Asthma Consultants. Symptoms that suggest possible asthma: cough, chest tightness or shortness of
breath, wheezing (but many asthmatics seldom wheeze), and worsening of symptoms with laughter or exercise.
Some asthmatics ONLY have symptoms with exertion. If you have a cough which seems to go away during the day
and worsens at night, ASTHMA is very likely.
Physicians & Staff:
Mohan S Dhillon, M.D.
Alan Geller, RPA-C.
Please click on these forms and print them if instructed by our office:
1. Patient Info
2. Medication Form
3. Allergy Questionaire 1 (ADOBE Reader Required)
4. Allergy Questionaire 2 (ADOBE Reader Required)
5. Hives Questionaire
6. Headache Questionaire
Dr. Mohan Dhillon and his staff welcome you to our web site. We are accepting new patients. We are the longest
operating Allergy Practice in Broome County, in service continuously since 1991. Not only do we provide state of
the art treatment for Allergic diseases and Asthma, but we also treat sinus disease, hay fever, hives, allergic skin
disease, allergic headaches, latex allergy, stinging insect reactions, occupational allergies, pregnant asthmatics
and drug reactions. We provide care in a compassionate and caring environment with emphasis on patient learning
and avoidance of triggers along with allergy desensitisation and pharmacological management. Our practice is
located full time in Broome County so that we can provide service fully dedicated to our local patients. We do not
go to satellite offices located in other counties. Our office hours are the most comprehensive in the triple cities and
we do have evening appointments. Our Office hours and Allergy Injection hours are the same and can be seen in
the LOCATION & HOURS section. Extensive patient education material can be accessed through our PATIENT
EDUCATION section. Information on the providers, Dr. Mohan Dhillon and PA Alan Geller can be seen in the STAFF
section. You can also click on the navigation bar, above the show map link, to access these pages directly.
Please scroll down for POLLEN COUNTS.
Dr. Mohan Dhillon is a board certified Allergist and Immunologist who trained at the prestigious Stanford
University. He is also the past President (2003-2004) of the Broome County Medical Society. His training included
treatment of both ADULTS and CHILDREN. His Board Certification is in Allergy and Immunology (1989) and to stay
on top of the field he recertified in 1999. He is also Board Certified in Internal Medicine. His full CV can be seen in
the STAFF section.
We are the only practice in the area that has a pollen and mold counting station. This allows us to quantify the
exact allergen load in the air. We do not have to rely on data from Rochester or other far away places that may not
accurately reflect our allergen load. Pollen and mold levels will be reported starting Mid March to October, on
Monday and Thursday (plus other days if conditions are changing). The counts will be posted here around 10:00
AM. Our counts can also be seen in the Press & Sun Bulletin and on Channel 12 (Cable 2) NEWS.
ALLERGY & ASTHMA CONSULTANTS, PC, POLLEN AND MOLD STATION IS NOW OPEN. WE WILL BE REPORTING
COUNTS ON MON. AND THU. EVERY WEEK.
COUNTS FOR 8/21/2008
Trees - ABSENT ( Pollen/cubic meter of air)
Grass- LOW 2 ( Pollen/cubic meter of air)
Weeds-MODERATE 28 ( Pollen/cubic meter of air)
Mold- LOW 512 ( Spores/cubic meter of air)
For the BROOME COUNTY the pollen season starts with the Tree pollens. Tree pollens are seen from middle of
March till late July. After July some Pine pollen can be counted until September.
Grass pollen is seen from late May through September.
Ragweed pollen is counted from early August to late October.
This is an image of Beech Pollen the highest pollen seen in early May in our pollen counts. Tree pollens are the first
to appear and cause symptoms from April to June. FOR OTHER POLLEN IMAGES CLICK ON THE LINK OR THE
PICTURE ABOVE.
All pollen is not equally allergenic. For Ragweed 0-10 pollen/cubic meter of air(pcm) is considered low, while 11-50
pcm moderate and 51-500 high. Level over 500 pcm are very high and would constitute a pollen advisory. People
with high level of allergy can have symptoms with low pollen counts while those with mild allergies need higher
numbers. For further information on reading pollen counts click on this link.
For our latest information on Cat Allergies please click on this link.
For information on Air filters please click on this link.
For information on Dust Mites please click on this link.
News and Updates
2006 SPRING ALLERGY GUIDE is available at this link.
Spring allergies and cough
If you have seasonal allergies, you may notice a lingering cough that won't go away this spring. Cough is a
common symptom of seasonal allergies such as allergic rhinitis (hayfever). In fact, cough is the most common
respiratory symptom for which patients seek medical attention, according to the American Academy of Allergy,
Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).
Allergens that trigger seasonal allergies are often common, usually harmless substances such as pollen, mold
spores, animal dander, dust, foods, insect venoms and medications. Cough is a way that the body clears particles
such as allergens and secretions from the airways.
In children, cough is divided into acute cough, lasting one to two weeks, and chronic cough, lasting more than four
weeks.
Causes of cough can include:
* Viral upper respiratory tract infections
* Nasal and sinus disease
* Stomach and esophageal problems such as GERD
* An inhaled foreign body
* "Habit"
* Environmental irritants
Treatment
Coughing does not always mean there is a problem. Usually, a simple daytime cough after viral respiratory
infections requires no specific treatment, particularly if it resolves in one or two weeks. However, coughing at night
after going to sleep is almost always abnormal and needs medical attention.
Patients should contact a doctor if a cough changes in character, trial therapy shows no signs of reducing the
cough, you begin to cough up blood and/or the cough interferes with the activities of daily living or sleep.
When to see an allergy/asthma specialist
* Have a cough that lasts 3-8 weeks or more.
* Have a cough that coexists with asthma.
* Have coexisting chronic cough and nasal symptoms.
* Have a chronic cough and tobacco use or exposure.
Many Olympic athletes suffer from exercise-induced asthma
This February, many athletes with exercise-induced asthma (EIA) will compete at the 2006 Winter Olympics in
Torino. EIA affects as many as 20% of highly competitive athletes and one in every six Olympic athletes, according
to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).
EIA is caused by airways that are overly sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and humidity, especially
when breathing colder, drier air in the winter months. During strenuous activity, people tend to breathe through
their mouths, allowing this cold, dry air to reach to reach the lower airways without passing through the warming,
humidifying effects of the nose.
People with EIA experience difficulty breathing within 5-20 minutes after exercising. Symptoms include:
* Wheezing
* Chest tightness
* Coughing
* Chest pain
* Prolonged or unexpected shortness of breath
Sports that require short bursts of energy, such as baseball, football, wrestling, golfing, gymnastics, short-term
track and field events or surfing are less likely to trigger EIA.
Swimming also has many positive factors for those with EIA. The warm, humid atmosphere, year-round availability,
toning of upper body muscles, and the horizontal position can help mobilize mucus from the bottom of the lungs.
Walking, leisure biking, hiking, and free downhill skiing are also less likely to trigger EIA. Wearing a scarf of surgical
mask in cold weather can also decrease symptoms by warming the inhaled air.
Athletes of all levels need to remember to take proper precautions if they have EIA. Exercise is beneficial to both
physical health and emotional well-being. All people with EIA should be able to exercise to their full ability with
appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Allergy guidelines: A useful summary of "The Allergy Report"--a 600 page guide for doctors and for allergy patients
has just been published as a joint effort of our major allergy societies together with the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases and 20 patient advocacy groups. Since allergic disorders kill more than 5000 people
a year and cause untold lost time from school and work, it is important to recognize, prevent and treat them. By
making comprehensive allergy information available all in one place, The Allergy Report should help this effort.
LATE-BREAKING NEWS: An important article on the effects of allergy vaccine injections (allergy shots) appears in
the Aug. 12 issue of one of the leading medical journals, the New England Journal of Medicine. This group of
researchers set about to answer the question, "Do allergy vaccine injections give lasting relief?" In a carefully
controlled trial, they found that after 3 to 4 years of treatment, patients continued to have markedly decreased
symptoms for another 3 years (and probably longer), even if they stopped their injections. This strongly supports
what we have been telling our patients for years, based on clinical observation, but now we have evidence from a
carefully controlled study on a large group of patients. Who benefits most? It appears that immunizing children and
others fairly early in the course of their disease is best, and may prevent the development of asthma. It is also
useful for patients who have long seasons and/or more than one allergen, causing symptoms to occur a large
portion of the year. It may be helpful to consider the benefits you could receive from allergy vaccine injections, if
you are not already getting them.
NEWS YOU CAN USE: IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR CHILDHOOD ASTHMA? Although allergy shots (immunotherapy) have
long been used and believed effective in children, their effect in treating and preventing asthma has been difficult
to study effectively. However, new information from a study done in Sweden involving 193 children aged 7-15 with
typical hay fever (nose and eye allergy) due to grass or birch tree pollen helps to understand the benefits of this
treatment. Half of the children were given shots containing either birch or grass pollen. After 3 years, 46% of the
children without the active treatment had developed asthma, but only 25% of the treated children did so. At 5
years, 59% of the untreated children had asthma, but the percentage in the treated group had actually dropped to
23%. This study appears to support use of immunizing injections in children with inhalant allergies as a means of
preventing asthma. (Pediatric News 33(2):48, 1999)
ASTHMA AND DUST MITE SENSITIVITY may interact to reduce lung growth in children, according to a recent report in
the American Journal of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine. Danish researchers studied a population sample of
408 children between ages 7 - 17 to determine which were allergic to dust mites, and which were asthmatic. They
then compared their pulmonary function with the non-allergic children. They found that EITHER asthma OR dust
mite sensitivity caused reduced growth of pulmonary function as measured by the FEV1 test, which we and other
asthma doctors routinely use as the main measurement of lung function. Children with both asthma and dust mite
sensitivity had the lowest growth of lung function, but even children without known asthma who just had mite
allergy had 5% lower function than normal. The reason for this is presently unknown. It may be that early
recognition of mite allergy combined with aggressive steps to eliminate mites from the environment, can prevent
this lung growth reduction, but more research is needed.
RECENT NEWS REPORTS indicate that cancer and heart disease is decreasing (the Good News!), but ASTHMA is
increasing in the U.S. and worldwide. If you think you or your child may have asthma, consider consulting us at
Allergy and Asthma Consultants. Symptoms that suggest possible asthma: cough, chest tightness or shortness of
breath, wheezing (but many asthmatics seldom wheeze), and worsening of symptoms with laughter or exercise.
Some asthmatics ONLY have symptoms with exertion. If you have a cough which seems to go away during the day
and worsens at night, ASTHMA is very likely.
Physicians & Staff:
Mohan S Dhillon, M.D.
Alan Geller, RPA-C.
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