Spring means pollen in the air, which also means allergy season for many. It is common to see people walking around with sniffles, waking up with a stuffy nose or going into sneezing fits. Dr Sheetu Singh of Rajasthan Hospital, Jaipur, talks to TOI about the reasons for this and what we can do to come out safe.
Q: Why is there a surge in complaints of stuffy nose, watery eyes or bouts of sneezing and sniffles around this time of the year?
A: In a study conducted by us, which was published in Lung India in 2017, we found there are 2 major pollen seasons in India. March to April is the first pollen season, during which time plants and trees bear pollen. The amount of pollen in the air during this season is maximum, and the chief pollen leading to allergies is Holoptelia. The second pollen season is from August to October, when grass pollen dominates. There were 37 major pollens identified by us in the two-year study period. These include: Cheno-Amaranthaceae, Poaceae, Holoptelia, Cynodon, Cassia, Brassica, Helianthus, Azadirachta, Amaranthus, and Saccharum.
Q: Why is there a surge in complaints of stuffy nose, watery eyes or bouts of sneezing and sniffles around this time of the year?
A: In a study conducted by us, which was published in Lung India in 2017, we found there are 2 major pollen seasons in India. March to April is the first pollen season, during which time plants and trees bear pollen. The amount of pollen in the air during this season is maximum, and the chief pollen leading to allergies is Holoptelia. The second pollen season is from August to October, when grass pollen dominates. There were 37 major pollens identified by us in the two-year study period. These include: Cheno-Amaranthaceae, Poaceae, Holoptelia, Cynodon, Cassia, Brassica, Helianthus, Azadirachta, Amaranthus, and Saccharum.