Health
Intense start to the pollen season
A corkscrew hazelnut bush: It can be observed, especially in cities, that plants produce more pollen when there is a high concentration of pollutants. photo
© Felix Kästle/dpa
People with hay fever can already tell from their watery eyes or runny nose: the pollen season has begun. These plants cause problems for those affected as early as winter.
As early as January, many allergy sufferers’ noses began to itch, but this is now the case Pollen season is in full swing: To the chagrin of many of those affected, some plants are producing particularly strong pollen due to the currently mild temperatures, as experts from the European Allergy Foundation Ecarf and the German Pollen Information Service (PID) Foundation reported on Tuesday at a press conference in Berlin.
“The alder tree began to experience heavy stress very early in February,” said Matthias Werchan from the PID. According to the landscape ecologist, poplar, yew, elm and cypress trees are also already blooming and can cause problems. “February is warmer than the average March so far. And of course nature reacts strongly.”
No more respite for allergy sufferers
The hazel pollen count began at the turn of the year and the plant has been pollinating with sometimes high intensity for several weeks. According to Werchan, one cannot speak of an early start to the season this year. “It’s almost the rule that hazel blooms at Christmas time.” The winter months used to be considered a break for allergy sufferers. Experts are now observing that, due to climate change, the times when the last pollen of the previous season disappears and the first of the new season appear almost overlap. According to the PID expert, the only respite left for allergy sufferers is November.
The development of this year’s pollen season is difficult to predict because it depends heavily on the weather, said Werchan. It is not yet clear whether birch pollen caused problems for people with hay fever in March or as late as April.
Number of those affected is high
According to a survey by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which took place from 2008 to 2011, around 15 percent of Germans suffer from hay fever and almost nine percent from bronchial asthma. While hay fever affects the upper respiratory tract, asthma affects the lungs: those affected have, for example, attacks of shortness of breath. According to the RKI, the frequency of allergic diseases has increased significantly in countries with a Western lifestyle since the 1970s and has stabilized at a high level. The frequency of asthma continues to rise.
According to Torsten Zuberbier from Ecarf, allergies are among the most common chronic diseases worldwide. “Unlike other medical problems, we can help with allergies,” the expert said on Tuesday. Those affected can use nasal sprays, eye drops and tablets to combat the symptoms. Immunotherapy addresses the cause with injections or tablets (hyposensitization). In order to reduce the symptoms, according to Zuberbier, it would also help to make the greening of cities more allergy-friendly. Urban greenery is important, but new plantings should avoid pollen-producing trees such as birch trees.
Climate change affects pollen season
Because of climate change and the resulting longer pollen season, allergy sufferers basically have symptoms all year round, according to the director of environmental medicine at Augsburg University Hospital, Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann. “They suffer longer and they suffer more because more pollen is flying every day,” said the allergist to the German Press Agency. The fact that climate change is bringing new plants and thus new pollen and new allergies to Germany could also become a burden.
According to the doctor, the development is particularly a problem for severe asthmatics and older people. “But of course our children in particular suffer incredibly from it.” If you constantly sneeze or feel exhausted, you may have difficulty concentrating at school.