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'Barn allergy': asthma and rhinitis due to storage mites
Clinical Allergy
|May 1, 1979
Summary
Farm workers may develop asthma from grain storage mites, distinct from farmer's lung. Skin tests for mite allergy are crucial before diagnosing farmer's lung, suggesting
Area of Science:
- Occupational medicine
- Immunology
- Allergology
Background:
- Asthma in farm workers presents a diagnostic challenge, often confused with farmer's lung.
- Differential diagnoses include Type I hypersensitivity to allergens and Type III hypersensitivity to mould antigens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of grain storage mites in respiratory conditions among farm workers.
- To differentiate mite-induced allergies from farmer's lung.
Main Methods:
- Skin testing for storage mite allergens.
- Clinical evaluation of asthma and rhinitis symptoms in a farming population.
Main Results:
- Identified asthma and rhinitis in farm workers caused by non-pyroglyphid grain storage mites.
- Highlighted that these symptoms are distinct from farmer's lung.
Conclusions:
- Skin tests for storage mites are recommended before diagnosing farmer's lung, even if precipitins to Micropolyspora faeni are present.
- Consider 'barn allergy' and a trial of sodium cromoglycate if storage mite skin tests are positive.