Already 300 days a year

Climate change turns pollen season into a permanent plague

The respite for allergy sufferers is getting shorter and shorter - climate change is the main reason for this.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

The pollen season in Austria is becoming longer and more intense, warns the Austrian Pollen Information Service (ÖPID). Climate change is not only driving up the number of people affected, but is also prolonging the suffering of allergy sufferers.

According to Fritz Horak, Medical Director of the Allergy Center Vienna West, half of the population is now affected by sensitization to all kinds of substances (from pollen to animals and metals), and half of these suffer from allergies with corresponding symptoms.

Allergies often underestimated
Those who suffer from pollen are at the top of the list, with grass and birch in particular causing runny noses, swollen eyes and sometimes asthma. Like many "common diseases", allergies are underestimated, diagnosed and treated too late.

Three therapeutic approaches
According to the expert, those affected can be trained to react to the respective allergen, usually over a period of three years, which can have a long-lasting effect. There are also medications that can alleviate the symptoms. And finally, you can try to avoid exposure, which is where the information from the Pollen Information Service can help.

At www.polleninformat ion.at you can find out about the current situation and what to expect - as well as via apps, podcasts or online self-tests.

Main enemy of many allergy sufferers probably not quite as annoying this year
As far as this year's situation is concerned, hazel and alder were already active in mid-January after the warm winter and peaked in the first week of March, reported Lukas Dirr, Head of Aerobiology at ÖPID. Ash trees are likely to reach their peak between mid-March and mid-April. The birch, a main enemy of allergy sufferers, should not be as troublesome as usual this year due to its biennial cycle.

After it blooms, grasses follow, then mugwort and ragweed, until the purple alder closes the pollen year in December. According to Dirr, 300 days of the year are now polluted by pollen.