the spring has arrived since Sunday, March 20, 2022. The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, the temperatures are mild and the trees are budding. But the arrival of fine weather is also accompanied by an increase in the amount of pollen in the air. And so, inevitably, allergies.
And The mask is no longer compulsory indoors since March 14, some French people have chosen to keep it to protect themselves and others from Covid-19. Corn “Can the mask protect against allergic reactions? » The question is put to us by Hélène, from Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine). West France answers you.
For some, the mask can reduce allergic reactions
To answer this question, we contacted Professor Frédéric de Blay, President of the French Federation of Allergology (FFAL), and Head of the Allergology, Asthmatology and Respiratory Pathology Department of the University Hospitals of Strasbourg (Bas- Rhine). “If they wear the mask, patients who are allergic to pollen actually have fewer symptoms, rhinitis or even asthma,” answers the Professor.
“We also carried out a study in Strasbourg, in a pollen allergen exposure chamber in which we tested masks. It has been shown that patients with birch pollen asthma can stay in the room longer when wearing a mask. So the masks protect them from the symptoms. Ditto for allergic rhinitis. So it varies, of course, from person to person. 100% of allergies are not necessarily protected by masks, but for a certain number of them, yes, the mask reduces or improves allergic reactions. »
Read also: Allergies. Six Questions About Birch Pollen Season
“30% of French people are clinically allergic”
One in four people is affected by respiratory allergy, according to the 2021 annual report on monitoring pollen and mold in ambient air in France. “To date, it is considered that 30% of French people are clinically allergic: asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis or food allergy, explains the president of the FFAL. In France, dust mites are the first cause of allergy. And the second cause is grass pollen. »
Monday, March 21, 2022, the National Aerobiological Surveillance Network (RNSA) has also alerted people allergic to birch pollen in a press release. “Indeed, our forecasting models announce significant concentrations over a large northern half of the country. » And this, since Thursday, March 24. These birch pollens are therefore present over a large part of the country from the end of March to the end of April.
Julie Pain. West France