2024-02-20 18:57:21
Bad news just in time for the start of the pollen season
We are excited about this expert forecast! By 2050, one in two Europeans will have an allergy
Hay fever is a real torture for allergy sufferers – according to a study, it will soon affect half of Germany. (symbol image)
:urbazon, iStock
February 20, 2024 at 7:57 p.m
Will half of Germany soon be crying and sniffling through the pollen year?
Many people have already felt it thanks to itchy eyes or stuffy noses: the pollen count is already in full swing due to the mild temperatures in Germany. If you’re not yet an allergy sufferer, you might soon have something in store for you, because experts assume that in a few years around half of all Europeans will be affected by an allergy.
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RKI has observed a sharp increase in allergy sufferers since the 1970s
According to a survey by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) that took place from 2008 to 2011, around 15 percent of Germans suffer from hay fever, almost nine percent of bronchial asthma. While hay fever affects the upper respiratory tract, asthma affects the lungs: those affected have, for example, attacks of shortness of breath. According to the RKI, the frequency of allergic diseases has increased significantly in countries with a Western lifestyle since the 1970s and has stabilized at a high level. The frequency of asthma continues to rise.
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Peace of mind from pollen in winter? That was once!
The winter months used to be considered a break for allergy sufferers. Experts are now observing that, due to climate change, the times when the last pollen of the previous season disappears and the first of the new season appear almost overlap. This influences the occurrence, frequency and severity of allergic diseases. “Allergy sufferers basically have symptoms all year round,” said Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, director of environmental medicine at the University Hospital of Augsburg, to the German Press Agency. “They suffer longer and they suffer more because more pollen is flying per day.”
Reading tip: {window.dataLayer.push({event: ‘link_click’,link_type: ‘intern’,link_url: ‘https://www.rtl.de/cms/heuschnupfen-tabletten-helfen-nicht-dr-anne-flecks-top -3-tipps-fuer-allergie-geplagte-4990668.html’})})()”> Hay fever tablets don’t help? Dr. Fleck reveals what those affected should do
Another consequence of climate change is that pollen releases more allergens. According to the allergist, this is not only related to increased temperatures, but also to higher levels of pollutants. It can be observed, especially in cities, that plants produce more pollen when pollutant concentrations are high – a stress reaction, as Traidl-Hoffmann explained. “It’s a plant survival strategy.” After all, pollen counts are used for reproduction. The fact that climate change is bringing new plants and thus new pollen and new allergies to Germany could also become a burden.
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Every second European will be affected by 2050
According to the doctor, the development is particularly a problem for severe asthmatics and older people. “But of course our children in particular are suffering terribly from it.” -every-sixth-child-suffers-from-an-allergy-with-serious-consequences-5030277.html’})})()”> Anyone who has to sneeze constantly or feels exhausted can also have a harder time concentrating at school .What is the trend for the coming years? “The world’s largest allergy society, the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, expects that half of Europeans will be allergic by 2050.”said Traidl-Hoffmann.
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