As of May 13, five of the eight departments of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté exceeded the grass pollen alert threshold. An ordeal for allergy sufferers, earlier than usual, and which is not ready to end.
Runny nose, itchy eyes… So many symptoms that make life impossible for allergy sufferers when pollens arrive. And at the end of the spring month, they are coming back in force. Since May 13, Côte-d’Or, Nièvre, Yonne as well as Doubs and Jura exceeded the grass pollen alert threshold.
It will have escaped no one: the spring of 2022 was marked by good weather and high temperatures. And if the return of sunny days makes most French people happy, it also allows pollen to start growing earlier.
“The species of pollen that we find in the air, it depends on the species of plants that we find on the territory, but especially on the weather“, specifies Aymeric Agostini, in charge of research at Atmo Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. “As we had a sunny and warm spring, grass pollen growth started much earlier in the season than usual. To see this so early is unprecedented.“Much earlier means between 15 days and three weeks ahead of the usual schedule, according to the specialist.
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Grasses are tall grass, roadside wilderness, or even lawn and turf. And if the alert threshold has already been exceeded in five of the eight departments of the region, their concentration should increase further in the weeks to come.
We haven’t reached peak pollination. The start is early, but the maximum peak should be reached in mid-June.
Aymeric Agostini, research officer at Atmo BFC
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And as grasses are particularly allergenic, allergy sufferers are not at the end of their troubles. There remains, perhaps, a glimmer of hope for them.
“If there are rainy episodes, the peak will be quite limited, quite crushed“, says Aymeric Agostini. “But if the bright sun remains, with a little wind to sweep away the pollen, the peak will quickly be reached. It all depends on the weather.“
As a result of this resurgence of pollen, a real rush in pharmacies. In her establishment in Messigny-et-Vantoux, north of Dijon, Karine Marchand has indeed witnessed a marked increase in the number of customers in recent weeks. “Many come to ask us about this, with an increase in prescriptions concerning this problem of allergies“, she notes.
Symptoms include runny nose, sneezing or itchy eyes. In short, the usual lot of allergy sufferers… for which there may well be a solution. “Wearing a mask can be an idea to create a barrier“, Judge Karine Marchand. “Afterwards, people are a little fed up with the mask.“
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“We’ve been living with it for two years now“, advances for her part Sarah Court Devilliers, allergist in Dijon.Some allergic patients have realized that the mask does not work so badly.“
A grain of pollen is bigger than the virus. So the mask still protects, you should not hesitate to wear it.
Sarah Court Devilliers, allergist
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If it protects, the mask is still not a miracle solution. However, there are a few behaviors that can make life easier.
- Avoid going out at the most pollinating times, when it is very windy and very hot.
- Wash your face and nose when you get home, even take a shower.
- Avoid hanging your laundry outside and change your sheets regularly.
In France, nearly one in three French people is affected by an allergy. According to the WHO, this proportion should even reach one in two French people by 2050.
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