Last Saturday was a bad day for alder pollen sufferers in Copenhagen, as the count set an all-time high – or at least since records began in the 1970s.
A record 550 particles per cubic metre were recorded.
Both the alder and hazel seasons starting on February 21 – five to six weeks earlier than 40 years ago.
Climate change to blame
“Climate change means there will be more and more pollen, the seasons starting earlier and higher pollen counts,” Karen Rasmussen of Astma-Allergi Danmark told DR.
Rasmussen advises sufferers to avoid outdoor activities, to rinse their hair before bedtime and, when possible, to wear sunglasses when cycling.
In addition, hanging clothes to dry outside is probably not a good idea either.
READ MORE: Aarhus bans birch trees in public places
Birch is worse though
Of course, alder pollen still has a long way to go before it can catch birch.
Due to an abnormally high propensity of trees in the region, birch pollen counts can run into thousands of particles, affecting people who had never previously suffered from hay fever before moving here.
So if you’ve just relocated here and start feeling like you’ve been struck down by mild flu in mid-April, it’s probably because the birch pollen season has started. The medication needed to treat the allergy tends to be prescription only.
