This week, birch pollen is expected to reach high levels in Uppsala County, according to Pia Östensson, curator of the palynology laboratory at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, which measures pollen levels in Uppsala County and Stockholm County.
- Right now there are high levels of birch pollen in southern Sweden, from north of Stockholm and down.
Next week, more birches will start to bloom higher up in Sweden and then the levels will increase.
There it goes slowly and surely, but if it hits and gets hot, it quickly becomes high levels, she says.
How do you think the pollen season will be?
- I think this season will be milder than last year when we had high, and very high, levels for a longer period.
Then the birches usually do not have the strength to bloom as much next year, says Pia Östensson.
A quarter are pollen allergic
According to Christer Janson, professor and chief physician in asthma and allergy at the University Hospital, about a quarter of Sweden's population has a pollen allergy, and he believes that it is important to get the right help.
- Birch pollen is perhaps what most tree pollen allergy sufferers think is worst.
It can be a little different depending on the weather, but the levels of birch pollen are usually at their highest sometime in May, says Christer Janson.
In the clip: Hear how you can relieve your pollen allergy.