World Allergy Week, an annual global event that raises awareness about allergies and their major health implications, takes place from the 18th of June to the 24th of June 2023.
In the spirit of raising awareness on global health, this year its main focus is on teaching people about the link between deteriorating allergies and climate change and managing allergy disorders in the face of it.
In reality, the recent decade (2011–2020) was the warmest on record, according to the United Nations, with the average temperature of Earth’s surface presently being 1.1°C higher than at any other period in the previous 100 000 years.
The CEO of the Allergy Foundation of South Africa (AFSA), the organisation leading the awareness campaign in SA, Professor Mike Levin, claims that all this warming is having an impact on our pollen seasons, causing allergy seasons to start earlier and stay longer.
The pollen season has grown by an average of 20 days, according to a survey of 60 pollen-gathering stations in the US and Canada. The South African pollen monitoring network is busily compiling comparable data for the southern hemisphere, and preliminary assessments show that pollen seasons in the Cape are getting worse.
“The warming of our planet is creating an environment that can support high pollen-producing plants in places where they may not have existed previously,” says Professor Johnny Peter, head of the Allergy and Immunology Unit at Groote Schuur and Head of Allergology and Clinical Immunology at the University of Cape Town (UCT).
For example, a highly allergenic plant called Ragweed which is native to North America has now been found in South Africa (Ragweed detected in South Africa The Real Pollen Count).
Climate change is also driving extreme weather events, and in 2018 we experienced ten-year highs in grass and tree pollen levels due to the drought over parts of South Africa.
A rise in greenhouse gas emissions raises the level of carbon dioxide, which encourages plants to produce and release more pollen. Because of the severe effects on pollen seasons, scientists anticipate that average pollen counts will more than treble from 2000 to 2040. Not just pollen, either. Fossil fuel burning also releases air pollutants and airborne particles, which can aggravate allergy symptoms.
Why we need to pay attention to worsening allergies
“When the coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and congested nose, head, and chest symptoms that come with seasonal allergies are left untreated, they can turn into bigger problems such as ear infections, bronchitis and pneumonia. Untreated allergies can also make pre-existing conditions such as eczema and asthma worse,” cautions Prof Peter.
Given that asthma may be fatal and that South Africa has one of the highest rates of asthma fatality worldwide, this is particularly important. Asthma and allergies typically coexist; up to 80% of asthmatics also have seasonal allergies. An asthma attack may result from an allergic reaction that is not managed.
According to an EPA report from 2023, children’s ER visits for asthma are expected to rise from 17% to 30% per year as a result of pollen levels.
What allergy and asthma sufferers should do in the face of climate change
For those who have asthma and allergies at the same time, Professor Aneesa Vanker, a paediatric pulmonologist at Red Cross Children’s Hospital and a participant in the Forum of International Respiratory Societies Environmental Group, advises identifying and treating even minor allergic reaction symptoms to prevent asthma attacks.
Asthma is known to be aggravated by air pollution, which contributes to climate change. It’s critical to treat allergy symptoms as soon as you notice them to prevent them from getting worse because the severity of an asthma attack can quickly worsen.
“Carefully managing allergies and asthma in consultation with your primary care doctor is key. Treat symptoms of allergies early using a prescribed, or one of the many over-the-counter, antihistamine and nasal anti-inflammatories available in pharmacies.”
For those with allergies, it is advised to check the daily pollen count and try to stay inside when it is very high. Here is where you can find out the current pollen count:
“For people who suffer from asthma, it is important to treat asthma with regular prevention therapy even when symptoms are not present. Controller medication is most effective when delivered directly to the lungs using an aerosol holding chamber, such as the AfriSpacer™, a device that slows the speed of the spray from an asthma pump and helps asthma sufferers direct more medication into their lungs. Using the AfriSpacer™ allows 1.7 times as much medicine to reach the lungs – making it more effective than a home nebuliser, or dry powder inhaler.”
The AfriSpacer™ is particularly recommended by the Allergy Foundation of South Africa for all children with asthma and even adults who will benefit from better delivery of their asthma medication into their lungs.
Also see: How to cope with allergies found inside your home during winter
