The fact that Vanessa Zeller suffers from hay fever is surprising in view of her hometown. She grew up in Bad Hindelang in Oberallgäu, a climatic health resort that advertises “carefree holidays away from allergies” in an “air extremely low in pollen and fine dust”. Nevertheless, Zeller is always dependent on eye drops and nasal spray – and now keeps a diary about her allergy suffering. Because environmental physicians from the University of Augsburg from Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann’s team selected the hometown of the 30-year-old as a “real laboratory” for a study on allergy prevention. Since May, Vanessa Zeller and around 70 other participants have been documenting how they organize their everyday lives and when they suffer particularly from their allergies. The researchers want to compare their information with pollen and pollutant measurements as well as weather data to find out how allergy sufferers can best protect themselves from runny noses, watery eyes or even asthma attacks. At the end of the study, there should be an app that gives those affected as individual recommendations as possible for protection against allergy sufferers, says project manager Caroline Böck. “Most pollen apps only use extrapolated data for this. But the pollen concentrations can vary greatly locally – and many pollutants in the air fuel the suffering again.”
With the help of the app, allergy sufferers should be able to protect themselves to a certain extent.
With the help of the app, allergy sufferers should be able to protect themselves to a certain extent, for example avoiding outdoor activities on certain days or at certain times of the day, closing the windows or washing clothes and hair. “If things go well here, it can also become a blueprint for other places,” says Böck. In order to have a comparison to the city air, people in Augsburg should also take part in the study. The Bavarian Ministry of Health is funding the investigation, which is planned to be completed by spring 2025, with 200,000 euros. The need for allergy prevention is great. According to the European Foundation for Allergy Research, around 25 million people in Germany suffer from an allergy, around 12 million of them from hay fever. The immune system reacts to proteins in the pollen that are released when they come into contact with the mucous membranes in the mouth, nose and eyes. The consequences include inflammation, itching and sneezing, but also headaches, sleep disorders and asthma.
Anyone who goes to Markus Koch in Bad Hindelang for treatment usually suffers massively from such symptoms. The doctor runs the Alpenklinik Santa Maria of the Catholic Youth Welfare Augsburg in the district of Oberjoch, which specializes in rehabilitation stays for allergy sufferers. It is important to make allergy sufferers more aware of their symptoms and to help with prevention, says Koch. “Many just say, I take an anti-allergic – and everything is fine. That can work well, but it doesn’t have to.” Some patients come to the clinic with severe symptoms without even knowing what they are allergic to, says Koch. However, allergies often developed further. The so-called “floor change” is particularly problematic – when allergy symptoms result in asthma or permanent lung diseases. “With a symptom diary or allergy calendar or the planned health app, I can notice earlier if the symptoms are increasing or if therapy is necessary,” says Koch. By taking part in the study, she has already become more attentive in this area, says Vanessa Zeller. “You notice it faster when your eye is itchy – and you think more about how you actually spent the day.” Filling out the Augsburg researchers’ digital questionnaire every day takes time, she says. “But if at some point an app is created from it that helps allergy sufferers like me, then it doesn’t take that much effort in comparison.”