With the arrival of sunny days, the pollens are having a blast. Which is far from good news for people with allergies. As explained The Weather Channel , conditions are favorable in spring for the development of pollens, especially when the weather is mild, sunny, with a little wind, as is currently the case over much of France.
“In fact, when the sky is gray, the temperatures are low and it rains, the pollens have difficulty developing and are stuck to the ground”, indicates The Weather Channel, which was still the case last week with much more wintry weather.
The last days of tranquility
According to the National Aerobiological Surveillance Network (RNSA), the risks of pollen allergies are still low this week, except for the pollens of Cupressaceae-Taxaceae (cypress family) around the Mediterranean, with an “allergy” alert. »Level 5.
Good evening, here are the allergy risk forecast maps for 03/23/2021 pic.twitter.com/RZpVLTruQ4
– National Aerobiological Surveillance Network (@rnsa_pollen) March 22, 2021
But those quiet days could be the last for those who are allergic to pollen. From next week, birch pollens will appear on French territory. The RNSA predicts a start of pollination of these trees around March 30 in Lyon, from March 31 to Paris or even 1is April to Montluçon (Allier).
But why are birches specially targeted? Because their pollens are very allergenic and they are very numerous in the country.
“There are a lot of birch trees in the area, explained the allergist Patrick Rufin to 20 Minutes , during a birch pollen peak in 2018. From an urban point of view, this tree is pretty and practical, requires little maintenance and does not grow too tall: enough to seduce many municipalities which have planted them en masse. However, their pollens are very allergenic: their structure sensitizes people at risk of allergies more than pollens from other trees. “
Global warming also involved
Moreover, pollution is not unrelated to this phenomenon either. “The increase in air pollution puts stress on plants. The allergenic protein of birch, PR-10, will, by a defense mechanism, produce much more pollen, specifies Patrick Rufin. This explains why there are ten times more people allergic to pollen than 30 years ago. “
Global warming also doesn’t help stabilize pollens, with a season starting earlier and lasting longer. In addition, researchers have established a link between the presence of pollen and the spread of the coronavirus. But according to scientists, the influence of pollen on the overall infection rate is usually minimal and can be mitigated by wearing a mask.
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