Catalunya. Threat of an “intense” spring for allergy sufferers, especially pollen.

"Last year we blew it" confessed the expert, who admitted they were wrong then predicting the worst spring for allergies for ten years.

Catalunya. Threat of an "intense" spring for allergy sufferers, especially pollen.

The coordinator of the Aerobiology Committee of the Spanish Society of Clinical Immunology (SEAIC), Javier Subiza, said today at a press conference that the cumulative concentrations of grass pollen, which appear in April, May, June and July will exceed 5,100 grains per cubic metres of air, compared to 2,800 in 2009.

"Last year we blew it" confessed the expert, who admitted they were wrong then predicting the worst spring for allergies for ten years.

The high temperatures recorded between February and April last year withered grass, preventing pollination, which has been described as "completely unusual" and has been linked with the strange weather variations in the last eight years.

Subiza stated that the rainfall in September, October and November has been well below the average recorded in previous years, but in December, January and February 2010 rainfall has doubled last year's figures.

Dr. Thomas Chivato, clinical chief of the Allergy Service of the Central Hospital "Gómez Ulla" of Madrid and president of the SEAIC, suggested that the worse effects will be felt in "dry Spain", i.e. by who reside in Madrid, Castilla La Mancha, Extremadura and north Andalusia.

Chivato emphasized that when spring pollens are "intense", visits to emergency allergy clinics multiply by three and times six for sales of antihistamines. Between 20 and 25 percent of the population has allergic rhinitis and between 5 and 10 per cent asthma, these percentages "highly significant" not only because of the importance of the disease itself but because it is increasingly prevalent.

Dr Victoria Clarke, head of the Section of Allergology of the Hospital Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona, explained that there are several theories to justify the increase in allergies, which have increased from 0.4 percent of the population in 1956 to 20 percent today.
The research points to air pollution and excessive hygiene because the immune system becomes "lazy" and produces an inadequate response. As a precaution, allergists recommend that patients seek medical advice before we enter the full period of pollination and produce symptoms. Chivato has advised that those affected should keep clear of parks, gardens or areas with abundant vegetation, especially avoiding grass.

Pollen is released only during the day and at night its concentration decreases, due to the effect of nocturnal temperature inversion. As for symptomatic medication, the most effective is topical, nasal or bronchial inhalation, although in all cases a specialist should be consulted before administration. Chivato warned that it is necessary to take the medication one to two weeks before the start of spring, to make it more effective.



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