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Many people in Austria are experiencing allergies that are making everyday life difficult. The main culprits are trees and shrubs, many of which are already in full bloom. According to experts, global warming extends the pollen season and makes the forests more allergenic. Cross-reactions are also making life difficult for those affected.
Birch, alder, and hazel are tree species that release much pollen and cause allergic reactions. However, the pollen load is probably not higher this year than last year, said Silvio Schüler from the Federal Research Center for Forests.
The immune system confuses allergens.
There are probably other reasons why many people still feel this way. Cross-reactions play an important role in birch pollen allergies, for example. Hornbeams and oaks are having a mast year this year—meaning they produce a particularly large amount of seeds and pollen—and the immune system of birch pollen allergy sufferers can confuse the allergy-causing substances in the trees.
“This means that those affected can also develop symptoms when oak and hornbeam pollen is present,” explained Katharina Bastl from MedUni Vienna’s Pollen Service on Ö1 Journal um acht. “This year in particular, with a stronger oak and hornbeam pollen count, makes the situation more intense for those affected.”
Extended pollen season
Global warming is also contributing to the increased burden. It tends to mean that trees and shrubs start to flower earlier, and the phases in which the nose is blocked last longer. “It has been well documented for 50 years that the budding of leaves and thus the flowering of tree species has shifted significantly forward,” said Schüler.
Conversely, the end of the stress shifts backwards. According to Bastl, this is particularly evident in the case of mugwort: “Its pollen season has completely changed.” New species would bloom a second time in eastern Austria in the fall, made possible by the higher temperatures.
More deciduous trees, more pollution
The warming is also changing the composition of Austria’s forests. The number of deciduous trees is increasing because they can better cope with the climatic changes. “Conifers such as spruce, fir, and larch are very low allergenic, while many deciduous trees, especially birch, alder, and hazelnut, tend to be highly allergenic,” said Schüler. “If we have more deciduous trees now, the allergy load will also increase in the long term.”
According to Schüler, the pollen load from trees such as birch, alder, and hazel will decrease in the coming weeks. Still, some allergy sufferers will probably not be able to breathe easily even then, as the end of the tree blossoms marks the start of the grass pollen season. If the weather remains warm and sunny, we can expect intense and prolonged exposure that can last until late summer.
Desensitization, symptom treatment, and avoidance
So, what can be done to combat the increasing burden of allergies? On the one hand, there is desensitization therapy, in which those affected take low doses of allergens over several years. “The success rate is very high,” said Bastl, ”but of course, there are always people for whom this doesn’t work. That’s why there are two other cornerstones of therapy: treating the symptoms and trying to avoid allergens – in other words, reducing contact with pollen as much as possible.”
Diet also plays a vital role in allergies. “Many sufferers have problems with histamine, a messenger substance in the immune system. It is contained in all foods that are stored for long periods. The classics are red wine, hard cheese, and salami. But some foods delay the breakdown of histamine, for example, cocoa in chocolate,” explained Bastl. Switching to a low-histamine diet can contribute to a reduction in symptoms.
- source: orf.at/picture: Image by smellypumpy from Pixabay
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