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More than eight million people in Spain have already begun to take the handkerchief out of their pockets. The good news is that this year we may save some in clinics because those allergic to grasses will enjoy a mild spring in almost the entire country. Only in some areas of the center and south of the peninsula is a variable intensity expected. However, there are many types of pollen and allergies and we must be prepared knowing well who we are facing and how we can distinguish allergy from catarrhal processes.

What is the ranking of 'enemy' pollens in Spain?

We could say that, of the eight million allergic people we mentioned, seven million sneeze because of grasses. It is followed in decreasing order by allergy to olive, arizónica, shade plantain, salsola and parietaria. To those who do not think of the word 'salsola', they will be happy to know that they are an old acquaintance. The characteristic of this shrub is that when it dries and dies it can detach from the base and start rolling with the ball-shaped wind, traveling great distances. They are the famous steppedrilles or tumbleweeds that we have all seen in western movies.

How does rain affect allergy season?

Rain influences in two ways that are curiously opposite. In the short term, that is, the day it rains, it moistens the pollens that are floating in the atmosphere. When gaining weight, by the law of gravity, it is favored that they fall to the ground. The more pollen in the soil, the less likely it is to end up in the airways of "the victims." On the contrary, in the long term rain is key to promoting the growth of all plants, especially grasses, which lead the ranking. If in the previous months it has rained enough, there will be more pollens scattered throughout the atmosphere when flowering arrives and this will directly impact the health of people with allergies.

How does climate change affect pollen allergy?

One of the side effects of climate change is that allergic diseases due to pollens have increased. On the one hand, as temperature and greenhouse gases increase, a breeding ground has developed that favors pollination. And the more pollen there is in the environment, the more pollen can end up in our respiratory system. On the other hand, it has also increased "the window of time" in which we are exposed to different types of pollen. As temperatures rise, the start of pollination has been brought forward. If the pollination time is lengthened, the pollens remain longer in the air. Another reason is that air pollutants, especially in cities, are increasingly present. These pollutants somehow attack plants that, in order to defend themselves, modify their metabolism by producing new proteins that are more allergic. They say that the best defense is a good attack and in this case also the plants take justice into their own hands.

QUICK QUIZ TO FIND OUT IF YOU HAVE A COLD OR ALLERGY

  • How long have you had symptoms?

The cold usually lasts about seven days while the allergy lasts indefinitely. People with allergies will experience the symptoms for as long as they are in contact with the allergenic substance. In short: if you've been with mucus for a month and a half, it may not be a cold.

  • Do you have snot?

Tell me what your snot looks like and I'll tell you if you have allergies or colds. Although it is not an absolute rule, if the discharge is liquid and transparent, type "dripping water", it is more likely to be allergy. If the mucus is blunt and "with substance" it is more likely that we talk about a cold.

  • Do you have a fever?

In general, allergies are not a cause of fever while with a cold it would be possible to have a low-grade fever.

  • Does your body hurt?

Typically, an allergy does not cause bodily pain while when you catch a cold you sometimes feel as if a car has passed over you. If what you have is the flu, what you feel has passed over is a truck.

  • Do symptoms appear fast or slow?

Allergy symptoms appear as soon as you come into contact with the allergen. However, cold symptoms often appear gradually, gradually.

  • What season of the year are you in?

Although, as we have said, climate change is turning everything upside down, it is more frequent that allergies appear in the hottest months, when pollen is floating in the air, while colds are more typical of autumn-winter.

  • Apothecary Garcia

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