Many people are allergic to windborne pollen from grasses, weeds and trees. Pollen can blow into your nose and eyes, triggering asthma and allergies.
Is your nose making your asthma worse?
Up to four out of five people with asthma also have allergies like hay fever – either at certain times of the year or all year round. An itchy, runny or blocked nose due to allergies can make your asthma harder to control.
High allergen plants
Problem pollen usually comes from imported grasses, weeds and trees, which are wind pollinated. Allergies are not usually triggered by highly flowered plants as they produce less pollen (which is transported by bees) than wind pollinated plants.
Avoiding pollenCompletely avoiding pollen can be difficult during the pollen season but the following steps may help reduce your exposure:
- Avoid going outdoors on days with high pollen counts, on windy days or after thunderstorms.
- Use re-circulated air in the car when pollen levels are high.
- Use your prescribed medications before going outdoors when pollen cannot be avoided, and keep your asthma reliever with you.
- Shower (or wash your face and hands thoroughly) after activities where you have high exposure to pollen.
- Wear a facemask in special situations where you can’t avoid lots of pollen, e.g. when driving a tractor during harvest
- Consider low-allergen plants pollinated by birds or insects when landscaping your garden.
Thunderstorm asthma‘Thunderstorm asthma’ is a potent mix of pollens, weather conditions and rain that can trigger severe asthma symptoms.
When rain droplets crash into airborne pollen, the pollen grains are broken into tiny particles. These particles can then get further and deeper inside your lungs than the larger pollen grains, and so trigger a worse asthma response.
