ALLERGIES WITH CHALK PIECE

As soon as we enter the class room the first thing we see is the black board. Teaching by writing on the black board with chalk piece is coming on as a tradition from decades. There is some dangerous problems with the chalk piece powder. The teacher who writes with chalk piece on the black board and the students sitting in the first bench gets infected by some allergies and some respiratory disorders. Chalk pieces are prepared from lime stone. They are rich in calcium carbonate. The dust produced by using chalk on board causes allergies when inhaled. The allergies viz., allergic rhinitis and allergic bronchitis (occupational asthma) when inhaled.

Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis:

       · Irritation of nose

       · Sneezing

       · Running nose

       · Rashes

       · Tears from eyes

Adverse Effects:

       · Voice changes

       · Eye irritation

       · Skin rashes

       · Skin itching etc.

Treatment:

Anti- histamines

       · Cetirizine

       · Fegrophynidine

Nasal Decongestants

       · Budesonide

       · Fluticasone

Bronchodilators

       · Salbutamol

       · Formetarol

Prevention:

       · Maintaining some distance from chalk piece dust

       · Using dustless chalks.

       · Using crayons on white board instead of chalk piece.

       · Wearing mask to nose.

       · Students, who are suffering from chalk dust allergy, should sir far away from the chalk dust.

       · Using prescribed drugs regularly.

Nagarjuna C.,

Dr.Hindustan Abdul Ahed,

Khaleeda M., Rehna S.K.,

Shirisha T., Vanisree S.

Balaji College of Pharmacy,

Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh