Tom Ogren, as many of you will know, has been campaigning on the dangers of pollen for many years – see this short video we recorded last year about how pollen combines with pollution with a lethal outcome.
For everyone’s benefit, he has just done a roundup of recent research on the subject. So, for those of you who are interested:
- Asthma UK: Approximately 80 per cent of people with asthma tell us that they also have a pollen allergy (which means their asthma symptoms are triggered by pollen).
- Air pollution, pollens and childhood asthma – is there a link? (2016 – full article)
- The acute effect of pollen was greater when the concentration of air particulate pollutant, specifically PM2.5 and SPM, was higher. These findings are consistent with the notion that particulate air pollution may act as an adjuvant that promotes allergic disease. (2014)
- Persistent pollen exposure during infancy is associated with increased risk of subsequent childhood asthma and hay fever. (2013)
- Exposure to high levels of pollen in the last 12 weeks of pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of asthma hospitalization. (2012 – full article)
- Increased (pollen) exposure can lead to sensitization and re-exposure to the allergens in a sensitized individual will increase the risk of developing asthma and other allergic diseases. (2010 – full article)
- Children with higher exposure to spores and pollen in the first 3 months of life are at increased risk of early wheezing (which has been associated with development of early childhood wheeze and asthma.) (2009 full text)
- Approximately 80% of South Africans react to Eragrostis (teff or lovegrass) and Buffalo grass pollens. (2007 – full article)
To which Tom’s colleague Laureen Lam added some more gender sensitive reports:
- Women are affected more by chemical fumes than men; this makes allergens cause much more inflammation in their lungs. Report in Newsweek; the research. (2018)
- Scented personal care & consumer products now create more smog & air pollution than cars. Report in NY Times; research. (2018)
- Nobody really knows why VOC’s affect women’s lungs more – however, testosterone suppresses inflammatory responses in the body including those caused by chemical vapors like those found in perfumes and household cleaners. This means that women are also more affected by allergies. (2013)
While, at the AAAAI/WAO meeting which is happing right now in Florida, one participant will be presenting a paper on ‘The Risk of Asthma Among Children from In-Utero Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollutants.’
For more on the whole issue of pollen and allergy see Tom’s many articles on the FoodsMatter site or go straight to his own site, Allergy Free Gardening.
