Pollen flight times 2015

Larissa Melville completed her traineeship in the editorial team of . After studying biology at Ludwig Maximilians University and the Technical University of Munich, she first got to know digital media online at Focus and then decided to learn medical journalism from scratch.

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MunichGrasses, mugwort, ragweed and especially birch are a thorn in the side of pollen allergy sufferers. The "Foundation of the German Pollen Information Service" (PID) based at the Berlin Charité has now announced exactly when the pollen will fly this year.

Dripping noses and itchy eyes have plagued birch pollen allergy sufferers for a few weeks. But the main birch pollen season is still ahead. Still, there is good news: Compared to last year, a significantly lower concentration of birch pollen is expected this season.

Grasses, mugwort and ragweed

The amount of pollen from grasses and mugwort will be in the medium range in 2015 as it has been in the last 15 years. Grass allergy sufferers can expect the first symptoms at the end of April and mugwort afflicted at the beginning of July. Ambrosia pollen, on the other hand, does not begin to fly until the end of July in the south and the beginning of August in the north. The northern and eastern federal states will be particularly affected, as ragweed pollen from Hungary ends up here.

2015	South (beginning - end)	North (start - end)
birch	26.03. - 30.05.	01.04. - 15.06.
Grasses	20.04. - 15.09.	30.04. - 20.09.
mugwort	05.07. - 15.09.	10.07. - 20.09.
ambrosia	20.07. - 20.09.	10.08. - 20.09.

One plant, millions of pollen

Ambrosia pollen has a particularly high allergen potential. Attention has been drawn to the danger posed by this plant for years. Nevertheless, the plant continues to proliferate in many places - including in the vicinity of schools and kindergartens, as PID found in a study. A single ragweed produces millions of pollen every year. Whole areas are quickly overgrown.PID writes that there is usually no major risk of developing an allergy to ragweed when the plant is occasionally torn up through contact with pollen. Still, it is recommended to wear gloves when tearing up and keep the plant away from your face.

More and more birches

Birch pollen is 70 percent of the most important allergenic pollen. And the birch trees are spreading more and more in Germany. Between 2013 and 2014 alone, the number of birch pollen increased by almost 20 percent. The reason: Birch trees are often planted in urban areas, reports the PID - despite their recommendations to the contrary.

Risks of a pollen allergy

If the immune system is overly sensitive to the proteins of plant pollen, one speaks of a pollen allergy or seasonal allergic rhinitis. Almost every fifth person in Germany is affected.

But not only runny nose and itchy eyes are the result. If left untreated, allergic rhinitis can also develop into allergic asthma. Therefore, those affected should equip themselves with antihistamines in good time and possibly consider immunotherapy.

In addition to hay fever, many pollen allergy sufferers also develop a cross-allergy to certain foods such as apples, kiwi or hazelnuts. If those affected eat the wrong thing, they are plagued by itching in the mouth and swelling of the mucous membranes or the tongue.

Source: Press release of the German Pollen Information Service Foundation from April 15, 2015

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