What is the situation with dusting of allergenic plants this year and how to deal with pollen allergies. Scientific information helps to survive flowering periods What will help against hay fever: some useful tips
Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, is a seasonal chronic disease that occurs due to the increased sensitivity of the human body to pollen from various plants. Exacerbation of hay fever occurs in the warm season - late spring, summer and early autumn.
The widely accepted historical name for this disease is “hay fever.” This unique term was proposed in 1819 by the English physician John Bostock: annually observing the characteristic symptoms of lacrimation, runny nose and sneezing, the doctor suggested that their appearance was associated with hay, which is harvested in the summer. However, already in 1873 it was proven that pollen is the cause of the development of hay fever.
For a person who is not prone to an allergic reaction, the pollen of a flowering plant is absolutely harmless. The body of an allergy sufferer perceives the smallest particles of pollen as harmful elements and, when interacting with them, reproduces a powerful inflammatory response - a kind of counterattack, during which the cells and tissues of the body itself are damaged.
Pollen of some plants under a microscope (magnification 500 times). In the case of hay fever, this occurs mainly in the summer - during the flowering period. Wind-pollinated plants pose a particular danger: their pollen has the ability to be transported by air and travel long distances. As a result, the air becomes saturated with tiny pollen particles up to 0.04 mm in size, which easily penetrate the respiratory tract and settle on the mucous membranes, provoking the development of an allergic reaction.
Depending on geographical features, hay fever can be observed in a significant proportion of the region’s population – up to 20%. As a rule, residents of northern regions suffer from pollen allergies much less often than residents of southern territories, although they cannot be completely excluded from the risk group. Moreover, the development of hay fever can be genetically determined: if both parents are prone to allergies, their child will also become allergic with a probability of 70-80%.
Symptoms of hay fever
The main affected area for hay fever is the eyes and respiratory organs. Patients experience a runny nose, swelling of the nasal mucosa, and sneezing attacks that appear at night or early in the morning. A dry cough often appears, accompanied by a sore throat: unlike a cough caused by ARVI, it lasts more than two weeks and is recognized by the characteristic sensation of itching and irritation. With hay fever, the mucous membrane of the eyes becomes inflamed, watery and red.
Depending on the severity of the allergic reaction, headaches, increased fatigue, weakness and loss of appetite may occur with hay fever. In particularly severe cases of the disease, as well as in the case of improper treatment, the patient may develop quite serious complications - including sinusitis, purulent conjunctivitis, bronchitis and pneumonia. In this regard, people prone to hay fever are advised to take a responsible approach to summer preventive measures.
Know your enemy by sight: plant allergens
Allergenic plants can be divided into three large categories depending on the time of flowering: spring, summer and summer-autumn. The first group includes trees, the second includes meadow grasses and cereals, and the third includes weeds.
It is worth saying that predominantly wind-pollinated plants are considered allergenic due to the high concentration of their pollen in the air. Pollen from insect-pollinated plants is present in the air in very small quantities, and therefore they are considered relatively harmless. These plants can be identified by the bright colors of their flowers and strong smell, which serve to attract insects.
The hay fever season opens at the end of March - beginning of April, when the willow blooms. Following this, willow, alder and hazel bloom in April, then aspen and poplar. By the way, contrary to popular belief, poplar fluff itself does not cause allergies: its danger lies in its ability to transfer pollen from other, more allergenic plants - including conifers and cereals.
At the beginning of May, birch, maple, oak begin to bloom, coniferous trees and large shrubs - apple tree, hawthorn, cherry, viburnum - bloom.
During the three summer months, intensive flowering of meadow plants and cereals occurs. In June, dandelion, thistle, and foxtail begin to bloom, and linden also blooms in central Russia. In July, fescue, timothy, bluegrass, wheatgrass, elecampane, motherwort, and datura bloom. In August, carnations, cornflowers, wormwood and ragweed begin to bloom.
Summer is the most dangerous time for people prone to allergies, since it is during the summer that most known allergenic plants bloom simultaneously. Depending on sensitivity to one or another of them, a person can suffer an acute outbreak of hay fever several times during the season.
In early autumn, most weeds bloom - quinoa, wormwood, nettle, foxglove, ragweed. At the end of September, flowering gradually stops, but pollen still remains in the air for some time. It happens that pollen settles on tree branches and fallen leaves, so the risk of allergies continues until mid-October.
Flowering calendar
The flowering calendar is a table displaying the flowering time of allergenic plants in various regions of central Russia. Using this table, a person suffering from hay fever can determine which period will be the most dangerous for him and prepare for its onset in a timely manner.
You can avoid an outbreak of the disease, including by planning a trip, vacation or business trip for a potentially dangerous period - this way you can wait out the time of flowering of the allergen in an area where this plant is absent, or where its flowering period has already ended.
Before the flowering period of the allergen plant begins, make sure to always have antihistamines on hand in a release form convenient for you. These can be anti-inflammatory and antiallergic sprays, tablets, drops for the eyes and nose - before purchasing this or that product, you will need to consult with an allergist. Stock up on protective equipment - masks, wet wipes for wiping your face. Large sunglasses will help prevent pollen from getting on the mucous membrane of your eyes.
Before a dangerous plant begins to bloom, take time to prepare your apartment. Check the operation of the air conditioner and, if necessary, clean its filters - this way you can protect your home microclimate from allergens. If possible, install humidifiers or air ionizers in your home and workplace to help neutralize pollen particles.
A new function of the Yandex.Weather service - pollen monitoring - will help you determine the current level of pollen concentration in your area. The pollen map displays the flowering range of allergen plants with an accuracy of 10 km and shows the pollen distribution forecast for the coming week. Service data is updated every 24 hours. The “Pollen” tab is located in the “Weather on the map” panel on the main page of the service; you can select the desired allergen in the lower right part of the map.
Treatment and prevention
In modern medicine, so-called allergen-specific immunotherapy, or ASIT, is used to treat allergies, including hay fever. This method is based on a gradual decrease in the body's sensitivity to a specific allergen and works on the principle of a vaccine: weak doses of the allergen are systematically administered to the patient over a long period of time. As a result of therapy, the body gets used to interacting with the allergen, adapts and develops a less destructive reaction mechanism to this irritant. The effectiveness of ASIT has been scientifically proven and confirmed by the results of studies conducted around the world.
The duration of ASIT is, on average, from 2 to 5 years, with a noticeable effect from treatment occurring after one year of therapy. As a rule, the allergen is injected into the patient under the skin, but in some cases - including severe fear of injections in children - it is placed under the tongue. It is recommended to start ASIT for hay fever several months before the start of flowering - preferably in winter.
To relieve the symptoms of hay fever, antihistamines, nasal and eye drops are used. If allergies also manifest themselves in the form of skin reactions, it is necessary to use ointments and creams with anti-inflammatory and antihistamine effects.
An allergist will help you draw up a detailed course of treatment. It is advisable to visit it before the dangerous season begins - it is best to do this in late autumn or winter. When diagnosing hay fever, skin allergy testing, a blood test and a cytological examination of a smear of the nasal mucosa may be necessary. The data obtained will help the doctor when drawing up a treatment program and preventive recommendations.
Preventive measures for hay fever:
- Do wet cleaning around the house more often– this will help you reduce the amount of pollen in the air. If possible, ventilate the room through a window curtained with a damp cloth to trap pollen particles coming from the street. It is advisable to dry washed items indoors to prevent pollen from settling.
- Eliminate potentially dangerous foods from your diet. Allergy sufferers are advised to avoid consuming any type of honey as it may contain allergenic pollen. If you are sensitive to pollen from cereal plants, reduce the consumption of cereals and their derivatives - porridge, sunflower oil, seeds, halva, kozinaki. If the allergic reaction is caused mainly by tree pollen, you should eat less fruits, nuts and berries. Regardless of the type of allergen, it is recommended to stop taking various herbal remedies.
- Rinse your throat and nose thoroughly when returning from the street. When outside the home, keep wet wipes with you and periodically wipe exposed areas of your body with them, particularly your face and hands. It is advisable to store street clothes separately from the rest.
- Don't neglect your wellness treatments. Today, there are many practices available to improve the health of the respiratory system. Haloghygiene - visiting salt rooms - is one of the most effective and simple methods of combating respiratory diseases and hay fever: tiny particles of salt settling on the walls of the mucous membrane of the eyes and respiratory organs have a powerful cleansing effect and relieve inflammation. Halohygiene sessions can be performed outside the home, visiting a salt cave, or at home using special devices - haloinhalers.
Spring is a time when a certain part of the population experiences suffering. A stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, reddened eyes, and running tears are signs of hay fever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, or, in the old sense, hay fever. In severe cases, asthma attacks occur and bronchial asthma can be triggered. The old name - hay fever - arose because the cause of this disease was previously considered to be components of hay. But at the end of the 19th century, David Blankley proved that it was caused by plant pollen.
Diagnosis of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis is carried out using skin tests for allergens. An allergic reaction occurs in a person to a foreign protein. Pollen grains contain many different proteins, some of which are needed to distinguish one's own species from another's when pollen from one flower lands on the stigma of another flower.
It is these proteins that cause allergies in a person sensitive to them when they get on the mucous membranes.
Hay fever is a seasonal disease, especially common among residents of large cities. Different people are allergic to the pollen of different plants - there is some specialization here.
The most powerful allergens among plants in the middle zone are considered to be birch and cereals. Moreover, birch blooms in the spring, at the end of April - May, and cereals - in June - July.
In August, imported ragweed pollen reaches even the Moscow region, and this inconspicuous weed is one of the most powerful allergens. Ambrosia is the scourge of the southern regions. In the Stavropol Territory, during its flowering, up to 40% of local residents get sick.
Elena Severova, leading researcher at the Faculty of Biology and head of the aeropalynological monitoring group, told Gazeta.Ru about the situation with plant dusting this year.
“This year, spring dusting was very compact in terms of timing. There was almost no birch, which is the most powerful allergen among flowering trees. Now practically nothing generates dust except pine.
Pine produces yellow pollen, it is clearly visible in all puddles, and we explain to everyone that this pollen is not dangerous for allergy sufferers. The first grains of cereals appear in the air, but the peak of cereal dusting is usually in June - it will probably be the same this year.
Cereals are one of the most powerful allergens in our region. But there are still not many of them in the city, especially if they mow the grass. Outside the city, people suffer more from grain allergies.”
The aeropalynological monitoring station at Moscow State University has been operating since 1992, from March to September. Experts are taking readings from a pollen trap installed on the roof of the Moscow State University weather station. The trap, scientifically called a “volumetric dust collector,” is designed very simply. The weather vane turns it in the wind, air is pumped through it, and suspended particles fall onto the adhesive tape of the drum, which rotates slowly. Every morning, employees change the drum and analyze the daily pollen “harvest” in the laboratory.
Pollen from different plant species looks different under a microscope. Biologists calculate the content of pollen grains of different types per cubic meter of air per day and record the data on pollen monitoring site. On this site you can see a plant pollen calendar, which also notes the level of pollen in the air that is dangerous for allergy sufferers.
As Elena Severova already said, now allergy sufferers need to prepare for the flowering of cereals in June. “But you have to keep in mind that the trap is located high up, and the pollen content at human height levels, such as sign pollen, may be slightly different,” she adds.
Pollen has no boundaries and travels thousands of kilometers with the wind. Therefore, the dust collector at Moscow State University naturally records not only pollen from the flowering of local plant species, but also foreign ones.
The most dangerous representative of foreign pollen in our country is ragweed pollen, which Moscow biologists regularly find in a trap.
But ambrosia itself, unfortunately, is moving north along the railroads.
The aeropalynological monitoring station at Moscow State University operates as the center of a national network - employees summarize data from several aeropalynological stations in Russia and present these results to the European center, which compiles a dust calendar for all of Europe. Allergy sufferers should take advantage of this information before going on a trip so as not to ruin their vacation.
— during the peak flowering of dangerous plants, go outside less, especially in dry, windless weather; protect windows with anti-pollen mesh;
- do not avoid walking in the forest, as trees filter pollen and its concentration in the forest decreases;
- limit physical activity outside the home to inhale less pollen;
- exclude alcohol, which dilates blood vessels, as a result of which the mucous membrane becomes more permeable;
- Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes;
- rinse your nose after going outside;
- It is better to take anti-allergy medications before contact with allergens, and not after.
Russian experts add to this list a recommendation for allergy sufferers to wash their hair more often to wash off pollen and to exclude certain foods from their diet. So, in the spring, during the flowering period of trees, do not consume their fruits, during the flowering period of cereals, exclude bakery products, during the flowering period of asteraceae, such as sunflower, exclude sunflower oil, mayonnaise, and seeds.
On March 15, the Moscow pollen monitoring station opened the next season. Data on pollen levels in the air of Moscow and other Russian cities are published on the website allergotop.com.
There is still snow in Moscow, but allergy sufferers are already reaching out to doctors. No wonder: in Belarus, Poland, Ukraine and southern Russia, alder and hazel are already in full bloom, the pollen of which reaches Moscow. These are the first signs of hay fever - an allergic reaction to plant pollen and mold spores (all together they are called aeroallergens). This is how the torment of allergy sufferers begins. In March-April, alder and hazel will bloom in the middle zone, in April-May birch - one of the main Russian allergens - will continue to suffer, followed by meadow grasses, wormwood and ragweed; in the second half of summer and autumn, mold fungi Alternaria and Cladosporium will begin to annoy.
According to various estimates, from 4% to 20% of the world's population suffers from hay fever. Is there anything that can protect these people besides drugs?
The answer may seem paradoxical: information can help allergy sufferers - information about where, in what concentrations and what aeroallergens are present in the air. If such information is received regularly, for example every day, it is easy to understand when the concentration of pollen in the air reaches a peak and when it drops to zero. The concentration of aeroallergens is the number of pollen grains or mold spores in one cubic meter of air. Why is it important to know this? The higher the concentration, the greater the risk of developing allergic symptoms if you have hay fever.
“Pollen concentrations rise or fall depending on the time of day. For many early flowering trees, peak dusting occurs during the midday and afternoon hours. Most grasses release pollen in the morning, from about 6:00 to 10:00. There are species with a one-time midday flowering, with two-time flowering - morning and weaker evening, and even night,” says Elena Severova, Candidate of Biological Sciences, leading researcher at the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosova, Scientific Director of the Allergotop project. Such information allows you to understand whether you should go outside, and if so, at what time. Thanks to it, you can minimize contact with pollen and thereby reduce, or even eliminate allergy symptoms from your life.
There will be science for you
The science that studies biological particles circulating in the atmosphere, including pollen, is called aerobiology. Scientists proposed this name back in the 1930s, but aerobiology was recognized as a separate scientific discipline only at the First International Congress on Ecology in The Hague in 1974.
The founder of aerobiology is considered to be the British physician Charles Blackley, who himself suffered from hay fever. In 1873, he first proved the connection between spring and summer allergic reactions with pollen circulating in the air, setting out his observations in the book “Experimental Studies of the Nature and Causes of Summer Catarrh.” In parallel with him in the USA, the doctor Morrill Wyman, who also suffered from hay fever, described “autumn catarrh” that tormented allergy sufferers in August-September, during the flowering period of the allergenic weed, ragweed.
How to catch pollen
But how to detect pollen in the air, because it is so small? Trapped. The pollen trap is the main monitoring tool, apart from the microscope.
Many scientists tried to create instruments for pollen monitoring; just remember the aeroscopes of Maddox (1870), Cunningham (1873) and Mikel (1878). The accuracy of all these instruments left much to be desired.
In 1946, a more accurate device appeared - the Duram gravimetric pollen trap. In it, particles flying in the air were deposited by gravity onto sticky glasses, which were then studied under a light microscope. Such a trap made it possible to understand exactly which particles were circulating in the atmosphere, but did not give any idea about their concentration.
The breakthrough came in 1952, when English researcher Jim Hirst made a volumetric (from the word volume) trap, in which an air flow was forcibly created using a pump. Here it was already possible to determine the concentration of particles per unit volume of air. “The Hirst pollen trap became the prototype of modern installations developed by Burkard and Lanzoni, which are now used by most aerobiological monitoring stations in the world,” explains Elena Severova.
The world's first pollen monitoring network originated in 1928 in the USA. Within a few years, it had 50 stations in the United States, as well as Canada, Mexico and Cuba, and tracked pollen from all allergenic plants. By the mid-1970s, similar networks had appeared in most European countries.
What does it have to do with allergies?
Aerobiologists have never separated their scientific interests from the interests of allergy sufferers. It is not surprising that aerobiological research in the USSR was initiated by an immunologist, academician Andrei Dmitrievich Ado. From 1974 to the 1990s, pollen was monitored by gravimetric traps, and in 1992 at Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov and the Botanical Institute named after. V.L. Komarova RAS (St. Petersburg) the first volumetric instruments were installed. They were lent, and then one of them was donated to Moscow State University by the palynology laboratory of the Swedish Natural History Museum. Today, pollen monitoring is carried out in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Stavropol, Ryazan, Tyumen, and Perm.
Elena Severova, a leading Russian palynologist (a specialist in pollen and plant spores), stood at the origins of modern Russian aerobiology. It is she and the specialists she trained who carry out pollen monitoring in Russia. And if until the early 2000s, monitoring data were exclusively the subject of scientific analysis, today they are available to everyone. They are publicly available on the website allergotop.com, which is part of the worldwide pollen monitoring network and the only one in Russia that provides real data on the concentration of aeroallergens, as well as forecasts for the flowering of plants dangerous for allergy sufferers.
How the trap works
Air is pumped through the pollen trap at a constant speed, bringing all the “flying” particles inside. The air suction rate is 10 l/min, which corresponds to the breathing intensity of an adult.
Inside the trap there is a drum with adhesive tape on which the particles settle. The drum rotates at a constant speed, which makes it possible to monitor not only the total concentration of pollen in the atmosphere per day, but also its content at each specific time of day and night.
Once a day, a section of tape with particles that have adhered during the day is delivered to the laboratory. There it is glued onto a glass slide and filled with a special compound that colors all living pollen grains pink in varying intensities to make them easier to detect and distinguish. The preparation is examined under a light microscope at 400x magnification, because the size of most pollen grains does not exceed 30–50 microns.
On the website allergotop.com, the concentration of aeroallergens is presented in the form of a “pollen traffic light”, which complies with the global standard for displaying data and is most convenient for people with allergies.
Why accurate monitoring data is needed
The website allergotop.com publishes general information about the concentration of aeroallergens, but with a special subscription starting this year you can get accurate data. For what? At least in order to take preventive measures in time, because if antiallergic therapy is started 10–14 days before the onset of symptoms, then the hay fever season will go much easier. But how do you know when symptoms will appear if someone reacts to pollen when its concentration is at its peak, while for others a few pollen grains are enough? This is where accurate data comes in handy. “In addition, it is purely psychologically important for allergy sufferers to understand how much the pollen concentration increases or decreases,” says Elena Shuvatova, an allergist-immunologist, candidate of medical sciences, medical director of “Allergotop.” “Of course, during the peak of birch dust, all people with hay fever feel bad, but accurate data reduces anxiety.”
What is an allergophone
Allergophone is the external background that affects the condition of allergy sufferers. Its main part is the concentration of aeroallergens in the air. However, weather conditions also affect allergy symptoms. “Cold or hot weather, high humidity or very dry air, changes in atmospheric pressure - all this affects the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and skin and often worsens allergies,” explains Elena Shuvatova. Therefore, allergotop.com proposed such an indicator as the comfort of the environment for allergy sufferers, which is calculated on the basis of weather conditions using a formula developed by Allergotop specialists, where each unfavorable factor is assigned a certain specific weight. The formula takes into account the ranges of comfort and discomfort for the mucous membranes, which in people with allergies are more susceptible to weather influences.
Aerobiological forecasts
Forecasts for the content of aeroallergens in the air can be short-term (for 72 hours) and long-term - for the flowering season of a particular plant. Russian palynologists use a model developed by specialists from the Finnish Meteorological Institute (silam.fmi.fi), in the creation of which they also took part. “The short-term forecast model is based on weather data and shows how pollen clouds can be redistributed taking into account winds,” says Elena Severova. “In addition, it takes into account where and in what quantity allergenic plants grow, as well as long-term phenological data (associated with seasonal changes in plant development), that is, the time when certain plants begin to flower in a particular place.”
“The forecast for the timing of flowering is given on the basis of the current weather forecast,” continues Elena Severova. “The main criterion here is the accumulated positive temperatures after the date specific for each region. Dusting occurs when the sum of all temperatures above zero reaches a certain value.”
To determine how intense the dusting will be, two parameters are taken into account: the weather conditions of the previous season, when stamens were laid and pollen was formed, and current weather conditions - frosts, which can kill catkins, as well as rains, which can wash out pollen. Models exist to calculate the potential pollen production of various plants for each season. Thanks to this, allergy sufferers know what to prepare for.
Birch forecast 2019
And now the good news: according to Elena Severova’s forecast, this year birch dusting will be average or even below average. “We can already see how many earrings are laid in which pollen is located,” says the scientist. “In addition to the weather conditions at the moment when they were laid, their number is influenced by the internal rhythm of the plants. There are apple and non-apple years! Birch is also characterized by such a two-year cycle. Last year, the total pollen production for the season amounted to about 60 thousand pollen grains. We predict it will be less this year.”
Elena Tueva
Hello dear reader!
Undoubtedly, you have seen a birch tree bloom. However, I hope that some of the “tricks” of this process will be interesting. For the most curious. Well, I also invite you to look at new photos of blooming birch trees.
Among the trees of our forest, birch is one of the first to bloom. Perhaps only alder is more hasty than her. And there are certain doubts about willow. In some years, the birch can overtake it.
Birch trees bloom even before the leaves bloom, usually in April. In Central Russia this is the middle of the month. For us – somewhere closer to May Day. Accordingly, in the south flowering begins earlier - in some places as early as March. And in the north, birch blooms already in May.
How does a birch tree bloom? With the beginning of flowering, the entire appearance of the tree changes dramatically—in one or two days. At the ends of birch branches hang loose, slightly yellowish earrings from five to ten centimeters long. They usually hang in groups of two or three.
These earrings appeared on the tree (they are also sometimes called more sophisticatedly - earring-shaped thyrsuses) long before flowering. More precisely, last summer. And at first they were green, short, sticking up. Then they grew older and darkened. These earrings are covered with a resinous substance that protects the contents from water.
And for a while they hid, froze. Until spring. But it's April again. Each earring suddenly comes to life, lengthens sharply, and sags. Birch blossoms. Flowering does not end with the appearance of small leaves on the birch tree. On the contrary, this is still the very height of the process!
Large yellowish catkins hanging at the ends of birch branches (biologists say on elongated shoots) consist of only staminate male flowers. A couple of perianth scales and two stamens - that’s the whole flower. True, there are many of these flowers in the earring.
Three such modest flowers sit in the axil of the covering scale, which has grown to the stem of the earring. There are many scales in the earring, and each has a trinity of flowers.
Lightly click on the dangling earring with your finger and a light yellow cloud will fly out. This is birch pollen.
But since the tree has male staminate flowers collected in separate inflorescences, then somewhere there must be pistillate, female ones? They are on the same tree, and are also collected in earrings. Just not as noticeable. Women's birch earrings are shorter and thinner than men's. And they are dark green.
Take a closer look at this photo. There is a branch of a silver birch on it. The familiar men's earrings hanging at the ends of the branches are clearly visible. And above them on the branch some kind of “sticks” or “candles” stick up and slightly to the side. These are the desired female inflorescences with pistillate flowers.
Here they are in the photo larger.
Here you can see that the birch branch has short side shoots (they are called shortened shoots). Each of these shoots has buds. From them both leaves and female earrings appear. Under the covering scales sit five tiny, inconspicuous flowers made from only pistils. And the three-lobed scales grew to the stem of the inflorescence.
Birch pollen is carried by the wind. That’s why it blooms while the leaves are small.
But fertilization of the female flowers occurred. Men's earrings fall off immediately after this. And women’s ones become thicker and looser. Now they no longer stick out on the branch, but hang down. And they become completely knobby. This is exactly what biologists call them - pineal thyrsi.
This is no longer an inflorescence, but a fruit. The fruits will ripen at the end of July - August. The winged small nuts will be carried by the wind. Birch is friends with the wind!
Alas, for some of us, the flowering of birch is not a joyful sign of spring, but an annual, scheduled, big nuisance.
Hay fever– an allergic reaction to plant pollen. Light birch pollen carried by the wind in huge quantities can cause an attack of this disease.
There is little good (or rather, none at all!). My nose is running and my eyes are watering. Headache, fever. These are the most common signs of hay fever. The coincidence of the flowering dates of some plants, for example, birch, will allow you to suspect an allergy to pollen. However, only doctors can determine this for sure..
There are medications that can alleviate the suffering of the patient. However, the most radical way is to go somewhere during this time. If you are allergic to birch pollen, then go to the south, where it has already bloomed. Or to the north, where it is not yet blooming.
Allergic diseases are extremely common in the modern world, and the number of newly diagnosed rhinitis, dermatitis or asthma is only growing every year. The situation is especially deplorable in megacities, which are notorious for their unfavorable environmental conditions. Many city dwellers are faced with hay fever, the clinical picture of which combines damage to the mucous membrane of the nose, eyes, pharynx, trachea, bronchi, and sometimes also includes various changes in the skin. This is a seasonal pathology that develops as a result of sensitivity to pollen. Patients may find the flowering calendar for allergy sufferers helpful, containing up-to-date information on dust-producing trees, shrubs and herbs. Proper use will help prevent deterioration of the condition and apply the necessary set of preventive measures in a timely manner.
Which plants are more likely to cause allergies?
There are several hundred species that can cause adverse reactions. However, the most active provocateurs are:
- Among the trees is a birch.
- From the list of cereals grown for food consumption - wheat.
- The list of herbs includes ambrosia.
Somewhat less frequently, but still often observed sensitivity to wormwood, timothy, fescue, rye, oats, ash, poplar, alder. Pollen can be transported over considerable distances with the wind, which is why, with a large number of plants, it fills every area of the city - even those where there are few “green areas”.
Not only flowering shrubs are dangerous, but also inconspicuous herbs growing on roadsides and outside the boundaries of parks and alleys. Researchers have found that in conditions of deteriorating environmental conditions, allergens (antigens) increase their unfavorable properties; In addition, the period of dusting is extended, which maintains a stable concentration of provoking substances in the environment.
Region also matters. Crimea is distinguished by the predominance of steppe zones and, accordingly, a variety of grasses. A reaction to cypress and pine is also likely. People visiting the Caucasus and permanently residing there may suffer due to sensitivity to coniferous trees, chestnuts, and oaks. There is a high probability of developing allergies to the flowering of birch, willow, cereals and other plants in Moscow.
What is a flowering calendar
This is a graph generated based on the results of assessing the concentration of pollen in the air. It contains up-to-date information on the activity of the release of provoking substances, and is preliminarily compiled for the year. If the city has its own research station, the data is updated regularly - for example, every day (the unit of time depends on the technical equipment and other factors).
The process of studying dust activity is called “aeropallinological monitoring” and is carried out using special equipment that monitors plants that are dangerous to sensitive people. The allergy sufferer's calendar is useful because:
If the patient is planning a trip (to another city, region or even country), monitoring flowering for allergy sufferers will help in choosing specific dates - after all, in a foreign region, dusting sometimes begins earlier or later than usual, and instead of solving important problems, a person may be faced with the need for tireless fight the disease. In addition, at the point of arrival there are likely to be the presence of trees or grasses with which the patient does not have contact in his native area. Therefore, a map of pollen activity for hay fever should always be with you and carefully studied.
Choose a flowering schedule for allergy sufferers in accordance with the region of permanent residence; when assessing the level of risk of developing a reaction, compare it with your own list of provoking plants.
Laboratory tests and skin tests performed under the guidance of a qualified physician can help determine which shrubs or grasses are causing symptoms. Having determined the spectrum of threatening substances, you can compare the results with the graph and decide how dangerous certain trees, varieties of flowers, and types of grass are.
Calendar for Moscow and the northern part of Russia
The flowering schedule for allergy sufferers living in the capital is as follows:
| Source of dust | Season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In March | In April | In May | In June | In July | In August | |
| Hazel | ||||||
| Alder | ||||||
| Birch | ||||||
| Willow | ||||||
| Poplar | ||||||
| Ash | ||||||
| Elm | ||||||
| Maple | ||||||
| Oak | ||||||
| Cereals | ||||||
| Sagebrush | ||||||
Highlighted in red are periods of high dust activity, when trees and flowers begin to emit (ooze) substances that are unfavorable for sensitive people. The table does not show all possible provocateurs, but only the most common of them. They are dangerous mainly in spring and summer; with the onset of cold weather, the well-being of patients improves, since antigenic particles practically disappear from the air.
Flowering calendar for allergy sufferers, suitable for residents of the northern part of Russia:
| Pollen source | April | May | June | July | August | September |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow | ||||||
| Hazel | ||||||
| Alder | ||||||
| Poplar | ||||||
| Maple | ||||||
| Elm | ||||||
| Oak | ||||||
| Pine | ||||||
| Cereals (including herbs) | ||||||
| Linden | ||||||
| Sagebrush | ||||||
| Quinoa |
It differs significantly from the capital’s schedule, since plants begin to bloom later, even the period of the onset of cold weather is covered. In addition, there are new types of provocateurs, which is important to pay attention to if you need to travel or plan permanent residence.
Calendar for the southern part of Russia
It is known that in areas with a relatively warm climate, many more plants bloom than in cold regions. They are not hampered by frost and snow, and the wind becomes an ally in the mission of spreading pollen particles - it carries them over long distances and maintains a stable concentration in the air. In addition, the dusting process begins in early spring and ends in autumn - in general, it lasts more than six months.
A patient suffering from hay fever and living in the south should study a separate flowering calendar for allergy sufferers:
| Trees, grasses, grains | March | April | May | June | July | August | September |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress | |||||||
| Apricot | |||||||
| Willow | |||||||
| Cherry | |||||||
| Maple | |||||||
| Oak | |||||||
| Ash | |||||||
| Sycamore | |||||||
| Lilac | |||||||
| Pine | |||||||
| Mulberry, chestnut | |||||||
| Reed, rye | |||||||
| Sunflower | |||||||
| Sagebrush | |||||||
| Quinoa | |||||||
| Ambrosia |
The flowering map for allergy sufferers is compiled with an emphasis on the most dangerous plants; in addition to them, in warm regions there are a lot of herbs, the dust of which can cause symptoms. It is worth understanding that in urban areas some species predominate, while in open space in a field or meadow others predominate. The presence of industrial zones is also important, since during active economic activity green spaces are destroyed and they are replaced by weeds that have adapted to unfavorable environmental conditions, the abundance of asphalt and harmful emissions. They often become sources of pollen, to which sensitive people have a reaction.
Seasonal prevention measures
Having considered the flowering calendar for allergy sufferers in Moscow and other regions, you also need to familiarize yourself with the rules for preventing exacerbations of hay fever. They are the same for all regions of the country and include methods combined into several groups.
Elimination measures
This is a set of actions aimed at limiting contact with pollen as much as possible. The most effective way is to go to an area where flowering has not yet begun or has already stopped. If this is not possible, practice:
In order not to suffer from the heat, you can use air conditioners and special air purifiers - both in the house and in the car. The car often becomes a reservoir of provoking particles - especially if the owner prefers to open the windows. You also need to pay attention to drying clothes - it cannot be done in the air; it is better to place the washed items on a closed balcony, otherwise pollen will settle on the damp fabric.
If you need to go outside during dusty periods, you should wear sunglasses or regular glasses, wear a mask, or use nasal filters that protect the nasal mucosa from allergens.
Medicines and ASIT
To prevent severe symptoms of hay fever, it is necessary to use medications or undergo a course of allergen-specific immunotherapy. The doctor decides which option is appropriate in a particular situation. The most commonly used pharmacological agents are:
- antihistamines (Cetrin, Edem);
- topical glucocorticosteroids (Nasonex).
They allow you to get rid of already manifested signs of the disease and prevent its transition to a more severe form - for example, from rhinitis to asthma. It is important to understand that they do not eliminate the risk of developing a reaction to pollen, but serve to prevent complications and are used in a course - a single dose will not give an effect. You should always carry an antihistamine recommended by your doctor with you so that you can take it without delay if your condition suddenly worsens.
In the last few years, the barrier agent Nazaval, which contains cellulose, has also gained popularity. With its help, you can create a protective layer impenetrable to pollen on the surface of the nasal mucosa and thereby prevent the development of a reaction.
ASIT, that is, allergen-specific immunotherapy, is a special method that is used for treatment and prevention at the same time. It involves the sequential introduction of small doses of provoking substances into the body to reduce sensitivity to them (formation of tolerance). If the result is successful, it allows you to forget about hay fever for a long time, but it has many contraindications and is carried out only after examining the patient.
In conclusion, it should be said that the flowering table for allergy sufferers is valuable both for the patient and for the attending physician - it helps in planning therapy, preventive measures, and diagnostic tests. Use it every time on the eve of the dusting season, and you will be able to promptly respond to pathological changes associated with the reaction of individual sensitivity to plants.
