Vienna (OTS) – Due to the cold, the pollen season starts later this year than last year. But now things are happening in quick succession: the hazel is blooming at the end of January/beginning of February, followed by the alder. There are also yews and cypresses – all pollen-dusting plants that will make life difficult for people who are allergic to early bloomers in the next few weeks. More about the current pollen count at www.polleninformation.at.
Bad news for people who are allergic to plant pollen, because this year’s pollen season starts with the flowering of hazel. “In eastern, southeastern and mostly urban parts of the country, hazelnut bushes have reached the point where they are ready to bloom and are releasing their first pollen
“, informs Dr. Markus Berger, head of the Austrian Pollen Information Service. “With temperatures around and above five degrees and sunny, dry weather, low to moderate pollution can be expected.” Hazel is followed by alder and yew and cypress trees are also slowly preparing to release pollen. In thermally favorable locations, the first cypress pollen can already be released into the air. Due to the frosty January, the pollen season starts later than last year. “We do not expect an extraordinary wave of stress. However, allergy sufferers are particularly sensitive to small amounts of allergens in the air, especially at the beginning of the season
“, so Berger.
Purple alder extends pollen season
Due to the weather, the alder trees are currently still in hibernation. Not so with the purple alder. It has Siberian genes, which makes it winter-resistant and resilient and blooms weeks before the native alder. This tree is increasingly being planted in cities – to the chagrin of allergy sufferers, because its pollen is highly allergenic. The increasing spread of purple alder shortens the pollen-free period to just two months per year. Berger: “So far the season has been very moderate. The frosty temperatures have hardly allowed any pollen to be released so far.” This means that the purple alder season for 2023/2024 is over in large parts of Austria. But be careful: “The native alder representatives have well-filled catkins and will soon be ready to open. In the event of sudden warming, hazel and, as a result, alder trees will be heavily impacted.”
Advice & help with pollen allergies
“Hay fever” is the colloquial name for the medical diagnosis “allergic rhinitis” and means the allergic reaction caused by contact with pollen. A runny or stuffy nose, itchy eyes and sneezing are problems that allergy sufferers have to deal with during the pollen count. That doesn’t sound dramatic, especially since the pollen count is also limited in time. However, the extent of untreated allergic rhinitis is significantly greater than it appears at first glance. The allergic reaction can spread from the upper respiratory tract towards the lungs and trigger asthma (so-called floor change). “People who react to early bloomers should quickly consult a specialist in allergology for skin, ENT, lung or children’s diseases in order to start the season protected
“, recommends the ENT doctor.
If you are unsure, you should Pollen diary of the pollen information service, document the symptoms daily and present the report to the doctor, who then initiates targeted therapy.
It is important to avoid contact with allergy triggers as much as possible. This is achieved through the services of the Pollen Information Service. The short and medium-term forecasts, an exact daily pollen forecast and a countdown of when and in which region which pollution can be expected can be found on the Internet at www.polleninformation.at recall. Current reports are also available via email newsletter, Facebook, Telegram and Signal and as a free pollen app.
Tips for avoiding allergens
- Stay outside as little as possible on days of high stress. You can find the current hourly pollen count by zip code www.polleninformation.at (Allergy risk).
- Change your clothes after spending time outdoors and do not leave them in the sleeping area.
- If you want to ventilate your house/apartment, we recommend installing pollen protection grilles in front of the windows. This means that most of the pollen stays out, making it easier to ventilate at night and allowing you to have a restful sleep with fresh air.
- Wear sunglasses (ideally with side shields). It keeps pollen away from your eyes and protects your mucous membranes, which are particularly sensitive to light during pollen season.
- On pollen-intensive days, a protective mask is recommended whenever you spend time outdoors – especially during sporting activities.
- Maintain and replace pollen filters in your car regularly.
Link tips:
www.polleninformation.at: Current pollen count, individual exposure, download pollen app, etc.
www.pollenallergie.at: Service for doctors
www.allergenvermeidung.org: Background information & tips for avoiding allergens
About the Austrian Pollen Information Service
The mission of the pollen information service is to optimally provide patients and doctors with relevant information about pollen counts. It also provides doctors, allergy sufferers, media, politicians and interested parties with free information on the current pollen situation and pollen data. The short and medium-term forecasts, the allergy risk map, severe weather warnings, ozone warnings, asthma weather, an exact daily pollen forecast as well as a countdown of when and in which region which pollution can be expected can be found at www.polleninformation.at recall. Current reports are also available via email newsletter, Facebook, Telegram, Signal, Instagram and as a free Pollen+ app.
Questions & Contact:
Elisabeth Leeb
( PR consulting › media work › text )
T: 0699/1 424 77 79
E: leeb.elisabeth@aon.at