If you’re one of the unlucky ones who every year suffer from red and itchy eyes due to the dreaded birch pollen season – beware, because it will soon be upon us again!
According to Karen Rasmussen from Astma og Allergi Danmark, the birch pollen season tends to start at the end of April and lasts for a few weeks. And this year the season is expected to start around April 19 and end in mid-May.
Nothing so far …
“So far we have only measured very few birch pollen in the air this year,” she told the Copenhagen Post.
“The start of the pollen season is entirely dependent on the weather, and when the weather is sunny and temperatures are high like it has been the past few days, the plants start their pollen production.”
Experts expect the season will start no later than April 22.
Affects one in four
Compared to the grass pollen season, which lasts from the end of May until August, the birch pollen season only lasts two to three weeks but is much more intense. Pollen counts can end up in the thousands on some days!
Given its magnitude, birch pollen often affects many visitors to Denmark who had previously thought they were immune from such allergies.
Should you suddenly feel poorly this weekend, it’s advised you contact your doctor as a prescription is necessary to get medication.
Approximately one out of every four people has an allergy to birch pollen.
If you are in the target group of any pollen allergies, you can check the daily pollen count at astma-allergi.dk/dagenspollental or you can download the free pollen app ‘Dagens Pollental’ (in Danish).
