The birch pollen season is coming now

FlowerFlower

The first pollen from birch is found in Oslo and Kristiansand, and asthmatics and people with allergies must prepare for this year’s pollen season.

The first warning about modest spread of birch pollen is already issued. That means that around one in five Norwegians now have a tough time ahead.

The birch pollen is the big bad guy, according to pollen researcher in Norway’s Asthma and Allergy Association, Hallvard Ramfjord.

– The birch is the worst as it exists across the country in different varieties. That means that the pollen is found everywhere.

In addition, it spreads a lot of pollen, and there are also a lot of allergens in the pollen. The birch pollen is therefore quite nasty, Ramfjord explains.

If the weather is nice, with mild and hot temperatures in the next few days, the spreading can increase quite rapidly.

The federation therefore recommend that those who are on medication start using them immediately if they have not already done so.

– The medication does not have full effect until after about a week, but you want some effect right away, says Anna Bistrup, who is a healthcare adviser in the Asthma and Allergy Association.

The birch pollen season will last for about three weeks. It will still take some time before flowering starts in the north of Norway.

This year is a record-breaking start of the pollen season. Already at the end of January pollen was found at stations in Kristiansand in the south and Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal.

The alder- and hazel season is now over in most places, but reported with modest spread in the inner parts of eastern Norway.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today