Pollen season about to start in Switzerland
The pollen season is set to begin in Switzerland as temperatures rise above five degrees and sunshine returns.
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Pollen season about to start in Switzerland
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People allergic to pollen should already be taking their medication and keeping a close eye on the situation, the Swiss Allergy Centre advises.
The first hazel pollen was measured locally in December. The concentration of pollen is currently rising, and according to the Allergy Centre, people allergic to hazelnut are likely to feel this increase particularly keenly in Ticino and, increasingly, in central Switzerland.
“The cold and rain are currently slowing down the spread of pollen, but as soon as the weather gets milder, concentrations will rise rapidly, particularly on sunny afternoons,” Roxane Guillod, an expert at the Allergy Centre, told Keystone-ATS.
In some towns, purple alders have been planted in recent years alongside local species of black, grey and green alder. According to the Allergy Centre, this species flowers earlier than the native species.
Red alder pollen has already been detected in December. From an allergological point of view, this species of tree is therefore not recommended, as it prolongs the exposure time of allergy sufferers.
According to Guillod, the pollen season starting in January is becoming “the new norm”. For several years now, the pollen season has been shifting towards January.
The centre advises people who are currently sneezing but don’t know whether it’s a cold or an allergy to get tested.
Adapted from French by AI/mga
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