Millions of Belgians impacted from this Monday: Sciensano announces the start of the grass pollen season
Grass pollen season officially began Monday, according to measurements by AirAllergy.
Published on 05/13/2024 at 3:21 p.m.
The grass pollen season officially began on Monday, according to measurements taken by AirAllergy, Sciensano’s national aerobiological monitoring network. Grass pollen concentrations have increased in recent days, putting allergy sufferers at increased risk of symptoms.
> Pollen allergies: how to limit the damage?
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This year, the grass season starts according to the average date on the calendar. In recent days, pollen concentrations have relatively increased, reaching around 20 grains per cubic meter of air in Brussels.
The grass pollen season extends from May to July, with a more intense period in June. It is caused by the successive flowering of more than a hundred species belonging to the grass family. “When the critical threshold of 50 pollen grains per cubic meter of air is exceeded, most allergy sufferers are likely to show symptoms. This threshold is often exceeded from June onwards,” explains Nicolas Bruffaerts, scientific collaborator in the Mycology and Aerobiology department at Sciensano.
Grasses are the most important cause of pollen allergies in Belgium. At least one in six people experience allergic symptoms when exposed to it.
In the coming days, Sciensano will launch the new AirAllergy smartphone application, in order to improve the management of pollen allergies in Belgium. The application will notably provide real-time measurements of the most allergenic pollen types in five stations spread across Belgium.
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AirAllergy will also provide a description of the pollen situation, tips for avoiding symptoms and answers to frequently asked questions about allergies, prevention and climate change.
