Pollen will make allergies a public health problem

The allergy It affects one in four people, but its prevalence could increase to almost 50 percent of the population in 2050 if current trends continue. This is what the Dr. Javier Montoro Lacombahead of the section Allergy at the Arnau Hospital in Vilanova de Llíria and professor of Immunology and Immunopathology of the University of Valenciawho points out that factors such as climate change and the pollution “they are modifying the behavior of environmental allergens.”

According to Europa Press, the specialist explains that one of the “most visible” changes is the prolongation of the pollination stationswhich lengthens the time of exposure to allergens for sensitized people. “If the season lasts longer, plants produce pollen for more weeks and increases the environmental allergenic load and supply,” he deduces.

Environmental changes are altering the behavior of plants and other allergens. The increase of temperaturesthe highest concentration of carbon dioxide wave urban pollution They stimulate plant growth and prolong pollen production, which increases the duration of exposure of allergic patients, as reported by the academic institution in a statement.

Additionally, plants can modify their proteins in response to these new environmental conditions to adapt to these changes. Therefore, as pointed out Montorothese alterations “can generate more aggressive proteins from an allergenic point of view”, which translates into “more severe” symptoms.
Even lesser-known factors, such as light pollutioninfluence the biological cycles of plants “by altering their circadian rhythm and prolonging their metabolic activity”, as some studies have already shown.

An emerging public health problem

The specialist warns that, if the prevalence continues to increase, allergies “could become an important public health problemnot only because of the burden of disease it represents for patients, but also because of its social and even economic repercussions.

The allergic symptoms “They affect the quality of life and can cause absenteeism or decreased work performance, in addition to increasing health expenditure associated with pharmacological treatments and vaccines,” he stressed.

However, solutions to address the environmental factors that promote the increase in allergies require measures “to long term“, like the pollutant reduction or changes in urban planning and the management of less allergenic plant species in city parks and gardens. “These changes do not generate immediate responses, but rather their effects are seen in the medium-long term, but we must begin to implement them as soon as possible,” he clarified.

Cold or allergy: how to distinguish them

One of the most frequent doubts among patients is to differentiate between a common cold and one respiratory allergy. In the words of Montoroduration and symptoms offer “important clues.” While a a cold It usually lasts between five and seven days, allergic symptoms It can last for weeks or even months.

Furthermore, in allergies it is characteristic itchy nose, eyes or throatthe repeated sneezing and the presence of clear nasal dischargeunlike the respiratory infectionsin which the secretions are thicker and yellowish or greenish in color.

Another relevant difference is that allergies are not usually accompanied by fever neither general malaisecommon symptoms in infectious processes.

The most common manifestations of allergic disease are the respiratoryespecially the rhinitis and the bronchial asthmadue to constant exposure of the respiratory tract to environmental particlescoming mainly from plants (the grasseshe cypress and the conifers in general, the olivehe shade banana treethe pellitoryare especially incisive), without forgetting the mitesthe animal epithelia and fungus. The latter are responsible for perennial symptoms.

“It is important to note that the majority of our patients are allergic to more than one allergenic source, that is, to mites-fungi-pollen, mites-pollen, mites-animal epithelia. This makes the treatment and control of the allergic disease of the respiratory tract. The allergen-specific immunotherapy (allergy vaccine) it is becoming more and more necessary,” he said.

In this sense, Montoro recommends taking into account the type of vegetation -always necessary- that is used in urban spaces and also so ornamental to avoid allergic reactions. He comments, for example, that the orange It is a tree whose pollen is heavy and sticky, it does not travel, but stays where it falls, unlike the olive or the cypresswhich does not weigh and remains in suspension much longer.

To know the pollen level in the environmentthe province of Valencia It has two stations: one, in the Clinical Hospital (in the Blasco Ibáñez Avenue) and, another, in Xativa. According to Javier Montorothe radius covered by these positions is large enough to prevent the allergic population.

Furthermore, it can be followed, practically with a week delay, the air quality through the website of the Valencian Association of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (https://avaic.es/), where there is also a battery recommendations that facilitate the coexistence of the allergic person at this time.

Scientific forum

He Dr. Montoro Lacomba also encourages scientific initiatives to improve knowledge about the allergic disease. The days March 13 and 14 will be celebrated seventh edition of the AsmaDual meeting (https://www.asmadual.es/), a forum organized together with the pulmonologist Fernando Sánchez Torilwhich will bring together specialists from all over Spain and of latin american countries.

The event, with hybrid in-person and online formatwill address topics such as most innovative biological therapies for asthmathe allergen immunotherapy or the influence of exposome —the set of environmental factors that surround the individual—in the respiratory diseases.