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Date Published: 23/03/2022

ARCHIVED - Hay fever and pollen allergies will be milder in Murcia and Alicante this spring

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

The dry winter means there is less pollen in the air, but experts warn that the allergy season could last well into summer

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Hay fever and pollen allergies will be milder in Murcia and Alicante this spring

People who have an allergy to pollen will face a milder spring in the Region of Murcia and Alicante this year, according to the heads of the Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC) during the presentation of the forecasts of the concentration of pollens this season.

In the case of the Region of Murcia, the SEAIC collects data through two sensors located in Murcia and Cartagena and for this spring values of between 1,000-2,000 grains per cubic metre are expected, which places the community in a mild range, both on the coast and inland.

“It will be a favourable spring for those allergic to grasses in the Region of Murcia,” they insist.

It is thought that some 5 million people suffer from a pollen allergy in Spain, and climate change and pollution are causing an increase in the number of allergy sufferers: “Pollution and climate change influence people because they alter their defences and interact with allergens, modifying the amount of allergen in each plant.”

Here’s why spring 2022 will be good for hay fever sufferers

One of the reasons why grass pollens will be less aggressive in spring 2022 is the relative lack of rain we had over the winter, which has reduced the number of grass pollens.

Now though, we are experiencing rainy weather with renewed vigour, which is something of a blessing and a curse.

For allergy sufferers, rain is a double-edged sword: It is beneficial in the short term because the pollen gets wet and falls to the ground instead of floating around in the air, but in the long term it is harmful because it increases pollination of plants later on and increases allergic reactions further down the line.

This actually means that while this allergy season will be less severe, it will last longer as pollens begin to appear earlier and disappear later.

What can I do to protect myself from pollen if I have an allergy?

One thing hay fever sufferers can do to lessen the effects of their allergy is to keep using a facemask outdoors.

The use of facemasks outside because of Covid-19 has reduced allergic symptoms and even the use of medication by up to 30%. It’s no longer a legal requirement to wear a facemask outside in Spain, but experts recommend that people with allergies continue to use them to protect from pollen in the air.

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