Forecast

High pollen load at Easter due to birch and ash!

With the rise in daytime temperatures and the end of the cool nights, the pollen allergy load will quickly reach high levels over the Easter weekend. First and foremost, it is the pollen release of the birchthat will cause health problems for allergy sufferers. After the below-average pollen count in 2025, it must be expected that birch dusting will reach high levels this year. At the beginning of the pollen release phase, there are still very small amounts of birch pollen in the air in the early hours of the morning. From the late morning hours onwards, there is a rapid increase in allergic exposure. With the onset of full bloom, the allergic irritation threshold can then be reached at any time of day or night. People who are sensitised to birch pollen should therefore limit their time outdoors as much as possible during the forecast period. There is far less exposure to birch p ollen at altitudes above 1500 metres and in the coastal regions of our southern neighbouring countries.

In second place in the pollen allergy load situation is the ashwhich is widespread in Carinthia, especially in the valleys and basins. Although many ash trees in Carinthia have been weakened by a disease caused by a fungus, a high pollen release can still be registered. This can result in a high pollen allergy load in the vicinity of ash stands.

At the same time as the dusting of birch, the dusting of hornbeam also begins. hornbeamwhich is very closely related to the birch. As a result of pollen allergic cross-reactions, hornbeam pollen can also trigger symptoms in birch pollen allergy sufferers.

Other pollen types currently come from ash maplethe trembling poplarthe elm and the cypress plants. However, the pollen of these early flowering tree species is only of minor allergological significance.

Dr Helmut Zwander