"Some experience a real Waterloo"

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For people with hay fever, the first rays of the sun ring the alarm bells. Because with the warmth comes the pollen. In an interview with, the allergist Professor Thomas Fuchs * explains why an allergy is not a trivial matter

Prof. Thomas Fuchs

Prof. Thomas Fuchs is an allergist at the University Medical Center Göttingen and a board member of the Association of German Allergists.

Prof. Fuchs, after the ice cellar in the past few weeks, weather experts are expecting significantly milder temperatures in the next few days. Do people allergic to pollen have to prepare for hay fever or asthma problems now?

Should the temperatures - as predicted - rise to eight to ten degrees, the first pollen could actually fly in some regions of Germany very soon. The warmer it is, the more there will be. According to the current weather forecast, however, it should cool down again in the following week. A particularly brilliant start to the hay fever season is therefore not to be expected.

Years with lower pollen activity are often followed by particularly pollen-rich years, say botanists. Do people with hay fever have to be prepared for a particularly violent spring?

In fact, pollen production in many plants fluctuates from year to year. And after the year 2012, which was somewhat poorer in pollen, it is possible that we will experience what is known as pollen fattening in the coming months, i.e. a season with particularly intensive pollen formation. However, many experts have already predicted this for the past year - and then it did not come true. So many factors play a role in pollen exposure that reliable predictions are very difficult.

After a long, symptom-free winter, allergy sufferers often complain of particularly bad symptoms. Why is that?

Often this is a subjective perception. Because especially after long weeks of darkness and cold, people are drawn to the sun. This is where the handicap of hay fever is particularly difficult. In some cases, however, the mucous membranes actually react particularly strongly to the pollen after a long period of rest.

Does the flu and cold wave, which has only just subsided, play a role in this?

Absolutely, because shortly after an infection, the mucous membranes are still irritated and on special alert. If there is an allergic inflammatory reaction on top, some hay fever patients experience a real waterloo.

Which pollen do allergy sufferers have to expect in particular in the coming weeks?

This is very different from region to region and depends primarily on the vegetation and the respective climatic conditions. Anyone who is allergic to so-called early bloomers should be prepared for hazel and alder in particular. It is probably a little too early for the birch, which usually does not bloom until the end of March or the beginning of April.

Some adults have hay fever-like symptoms in the spring, even though they are not known to have any allergies. Can hay fever occur at any age?

There is no age limit for allergies; 80-year-olds can also get sick. Nobody knows why that is. Some people get sick in childhood, others only when they are 30 or 50 years old or even later. An allergy can develop even without a genetic predisposition. Studies have shown that certain factors increase the risk. For example, diesel smoke or tobacco smoke can promote the development of asthma and hay fever via as yet unexplained mechanisms.

What should someone do with hay fever-like symptoms for the first time?

Typical signs are watery so-called runny nose, swelling of the nasal mucous membrane and the conjunctiva of the eyes, and nocturnal breathing difficulties. Anyone who suffers from these complaints should definitely consult a specialist in allergic diseases without any detours. He can best determine with special tests whether the symptoms are an infection or actually an allergy - and which triggers may be responsible. Under no circumstances should you be talked into the pharmacy with such symptoms.

What is the risk?

We often see pharmacies selling drugs for allergies that no doctor trained in allergology would prescribe today. The old active ingredients have more side effects than benefits - above all, they make you tired and have a strong appetite-stimulating effect. I also strongly advise against homeopathic medication. Recognizing an allergy in good time and treating it effectively is vital. Most people do not even know that hay fever is often associated with a food allergy - for example to nuts, stone fruits or apples. Often these allergens only cause the oral mucosa to itch, but they can also trigger a life-threatening state of shock. And that usually comes without warning.

Professor Fuchs, thank you for talking to us.

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