Hay fever alarm due to premature pollen count: How allergy sufferers can arm themselves
Created: 01/13/2023 17:18
By: Patrick Freiwah
While the cold season is still in progress, the pollen season is already upon us.
Millions of people struggle with hay fever.
What allergy sufferers can do.
Munich – Allergy sufferers have problems with pollen shortly after the turn of the year: Due to the mild weather in large parts of Germany, plants are blooming and the pollen season is heralding.
The period of colds is not over due to the changeable and sometimes still cold temperatures, but there is a risk of hay fever in some places.
The German Pollen Information Service Foundation recently warned of a “measurable pollen count” from hazel and purple alder in certain areas.
In previous years, hazel pollen was sometimes already flying in December due to the milder winters.
Incidentally, the current exposure can be read daily from the pollen risk index of the DWD.
Increased risk of hay fever for allergy sufferers as a result of global warming
"As part of climate change, we are also feeling the effects of global warming in Germany," explains Prof. Dr.
Torsten Zuberbier, Head of the Institute for Allergy Research at the Berlin Charité, the
image
.
According to him, this results in better living conditions for plants, which leads to an increased pollen count.
Allergy sufferers don't have it easy in January: Due to the premature pollen count, there is a risk of colds, itching and a stuffy nose.
© Action Pictures/IMAGO
A drop in temperatures can be expected in the following days (current weather forecast), which naturally reduces the pollen count and is associated with relief for allergy sufferers.
Mild temperatures affect allergy sufferers - male sperm cells are happy
A look at the pollen calendar reveals that hazel pollen is already making life difficult for allergy sufferers, with nine percent of the bushes flowering by the end of December 2022.
If the upcoming cold snap is short-lived, the hazel bushes will bloom a few days before the end of January - in the 1990s, this was apparently only the case around mid-February.
Apart from that, there is a certain sequence of allergy triggers, the researcher describes: Hazel, alder and birch are followed by the herbs grasses and mugwort.
In addition, the ragweed herb is spreading rapidly in Germany and is becoming a problem for allergy sufferers.
"Pollen are male sperm cells, and carried by the wind they then look for somewhere else of their kind, i.e. trees or grasses," said the expert in an earlier interview with
rbb24.de
.
People would develop new allergies every year, and the severity of those affected would also increase, according to Zuberbier.
Typical symptoms of pollen count are red eyes, runny nose or increased urge to sneeze and difficult breathing due to a blocked nose.
It can also be accompanied by headaches.
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Pollen count affects allergy sufferers - there are various solutions to hay fever
If he has his way, allergy sufferers who have had problems breathing through their nose and bronchi for more than two weeks should see a doctor.
But how can you protect yourself against pollen in everyday life?
The allergy expert describes desensitization as an effective method in order to get the body used to the respective allergen like a kind of vaccination.
However, this requires the condition "that a very clean diagnosis has been made," says Zuberbier.
How allergy sufferers can protect themselves from pollen in everyday life:
Wash your hair before you go to bed - because then you won't breathe in the pollen that you've collected in your hair during the day.
Wash bedding regularly - when airing, certain amounts of pollen enter the room and also settle on the laundry.
Ventilate especially after rainfall - moist pollen does not fly as well.
It is also better to ventilate late in the evening than to ventilate during the day when it is dry.
Regular vacuuming removes pollen from carpets or rugs.
Wear glasses when leaving the building – this protects your eyes from pollen, especially when it is windy.
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(PF)