- Dr. Ángel Julio Huertas assures that the mild winter has brought forward pollination and cases of rhinoconjunctivitis and allergic asthma in the southern and eastern half of the Iberian Peninsula.
- The northern and northwest regions, such as Galicia, experience hardly any changes in pollination, while the Valencian Community and Murcia detect higher levels of pollen from cypress and plane trees in February and March.
Valencia, March 22, 2024 – Pollen allergies have advanced in half of Spain. In fact, spring began on March 20, but for weeks many people have had symptoms of pollen allergies more typical of the pre-summer months. Healthcare group allergists Ribera warn of the advance of symptoms for people with pollen allergy in half of Spain, especially in the eastern and southern regions of the Iberian Peninsula, as a consequence of early flowering and the absence of rain.
Dr. Ángel Julio Huertas, allergist from Practitioner, Murcia health subsidiary of the healthcare group Ribera, explains that this year "due to the mild winter we have had, the pollination of the cypress has been advanced, mainly due to the high temperatures." This is the reason, he adds, that a greater number of rhinoconjunctivitis cases have been detected and, in some patients, also asthma episodes that have been treated in consultation in recent weeks.
In the Region of Murcia and the south of the Valencian Community, for example, higher levels of pollination of cypress and plane trees have been detected in February and March, and in the coming months more patients affected by olive trees and grasses are expected. . Furthermore, the general absence of rain, according to the specialist, has favored the concentration of pollen in the environment. Sometimes, however, other environmental or weather factors such as wind or pollution can favor the appearance of symptoms and cases of stronger allergies.
The same does not happen in the north of Spain. Dr. Carmen Mogio, allergist at the hospital Ribera Povisa (Vigo), assures that in Galicia pollination has not changed compared to last year and people sensitive to grasses and parietarias are expected to begin with symptoms closer to the month of May "and with greater intensity in June."
Common symptoms of a pollen allergy
Since, given the dates, it is possible that many patients do not identify the allergic process and think that it may be a viral condition, Dr. Huertas points out “two infallible symptoms” to differentiate a cold or flu from an allergy: fever is a clear indicator of a viral process; and the duration of the symptomatic picture. “Usually catarrhal processes are limited to a few days and allergies last longer,” he explains.
The most common symptoms of a pollen allergy, regardless of the type or season, are itchy eyes and nose, frequent sneezing, watery nasal discharge, a feeling of stuffy nose, watery eyes and red eyes. Furthermore, in the most acute cases bronchial symptoms may appear, notably shortness of breath, dry cough, hearing wheezing in the chest or a feeling of chest tightness.
Pollen allergy, origin of other allergies
Regarding the relationship between pollen allergy and other allergies, which in many cases develop patients with this sensitivity to the flowering of plants, doctors Huertas and Mogio explain why it occurs. “Pollen allergy can cause some allergies to plant foods, due to the recognition of these pollen proteins in the food that can cause an allergic reaction in the patient,” they say. In any case, he recommends going to a specialist to determine the allergenic factors that specifically affect each patient.
Dr. Huertas does not believe that there are more people allergic to pollen than there were a few years ago, but he does believe that there are more people allergic to animals. “Possibly more cases of allergies to pets have been detected in recent years,” he says.
Tips to reduce symptoms
To reduce the symptoms of allergies to different types of pollen, specialists from the Ribera group recommend limiting outdoor exposure; wear sunglasses and a mask at times of greatest symptoms; do not open the windows if we are at home, except first thing in the morning to ventilate, and not while driving; wear a full helmet if riding a motorcycle; avoid, as far as possible, going out to the countryside, garden areas or parks during the pollination season that causes allergies; install pollen filters in the car air system and home air conditioning; remove pollen remains at home, window frames and terraces; and avoid hanging outside, so that clothes do not become impregnated with pollen.
