For the first time, scientists have found that measuring airborne allergen levels, rather than traditional pollen counting, will greatly help hay fever patients stay ahead of the risk and eliminate debilitating symptoms. Hay fever, or seasonal allergic rhinitis, affects more than a quarter of American adults and about 19% of children. While symptoms such as sneezing, sinus pressure, itchy mouth and eyes, and nasal congestion have many similarities with cold viruses, they are triggered by pollen from trees and grasses. Pollen can also affect the severity of symptoms in people with asthma, increasing wheezing, breathlessness and the risk of attacks.
For the first time, researchers led by a team from King's College London and Imperial College London have discovered a more accurate way to determine how much pollen in the air affects hay fever patients on any given day.
Grass pollen is the most common cause of hay fever"First author, Elaine Fuertes of Imperial College London, said: "In this study, we measured levels of the grass allergen (PHL P 5) and found that this was more consistent with allergic respiratory symptoms than grass pollen counts. "
Pollen counting is generally a physical real-time measurement of pollen in a certain volume of air by sampling through a rotating device. This method, along with pollen** (estimating allergy risk based on data from previous years), has been a common method for analyzing global air quality. But they are far from ideal.
Because the number of allergens released varies from one pollen pellet, traditional pollen counts can incorrectly reflect the number of airborne allergens triggering symptoms on any given day.
Scientists believe that by measuring PHL P 5, the amount of active allergens can be more accurately understood, allowing hay fever sufferers to make more informed decisions in terms of ** and lifestyle.
In this study, the investigators collected daily symptom and medication ratings from 93 participants in the Pollenlite clinical trial, as well as admissions to the London Asthma Hospital. They compared it to an air sample, compared the date and location, and measured the pHl P5 grass allergen protein content.
Through blood analysis, symptom reporting, and drug use, the researchers found that while there was a link between daily pollen count and the severity of allergic reactions, the link between the two was more consistent and accurate when measuring PHL P5 levels.
While it's still difficult to pinpoint** allergy risk, it may be more accurate than standard pollen counts when assessed in combination with PHL P5.
The high pollen season can be serious for hay fever sufferers, and people with grass pollen allergies can trigger severe asthma attacks"Senior author Stephen Thiel, professor of immunology and microbial sciences, said: "This study shows that there is a superior way to measure pollen allergens in the air than traditional pollen counting"。
Researchers will now look at whether conditions such as temperature, wind, humidity and pollution can have an impact on how many allergens are released per grain of pollen.
Thiel said"Monitoring grass allergens, rather than grass pollen counts, yields results that are more consistent with the patient's symptoms and allows people with severe allergies to be better prepared for pollen season. "
The study was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.