The autumn pollen mainly comes from various herbaceous plants, and the main allergens include allergenic pollen from plants such as Artemisia, Humulus, and Ragweed. Pollen monitoring and forecasting will provide targeted pollen concentration information, prevention, and treatment recommendations for individuals with pollen allergies. People with pollen allergies can take preventive measures in advance and seek medication if necessary. During this period, some areas in northern China are in the autumn pollen season, which can easily cause allergies in some populations. What are the types of autumn pollen that are prone to allergies? What are the effects of meteorological conditions on pollen transmission? What measures need to be taken to prevent in advance? The reporter interviewed relevant experts. What are the autumn pollen that can easily cause allergies? Autumn is gradually intensifying, and pollen concentrations in some northern regions continue to remain high. Autumn pollen mainly comes from various herbaceous plants, and the main allergens include allergenic pollen from plants such as Artemisia, Humulus, Ragweed, Chenopodiaceae, Amaranthaceae, Poaceae, etc. Zhao Shiwei, a senior engineer at the Beijing Academy of Landscape and Greening Sciences, introduced that the flowers of these plants are generally not eye-catching, but the amount of pollen is huge. According to statistics, an adult ragweed can produce over 100 million pollen grains, and the amount of pollen produced by a hemlock or wormwood plant is also astonishing. Moreover, due to the light weight of pollen, it can fly to faraway places under the influence of air disturbances and strong winds. Artemisia plants have strong vitality and are distributed in some northern regions. It is reported that this year, the northern region has generally experienced abundant rainfall, and good water vapor conditions have accelerated the growth of plants such as Artemisia, resulting in high concentrations of various allergenic pollen. In addition to pollen, the spores of fungi such as molds can also cause allergies in autumn. During the rainy season in northern regions, the air humidity is high, and many fungi grow rapidly and emit spores. People who are prone to allergies are also susceptible to allergies when they come into contact with these spores. ”Zhao Shiwei said. What are the effects of meteorological conditions on pollen transmission? Meteorological conditions affect the production and dissemination of pollen. When the pollen sacs of allergenic plants burst is related to temperature, while whether pollen can suspend in the air and float far is related to wind speed and precipitation. ”Zhu Dingzhen, a specially appointed expert at the Meteorological Propaganda and Science Popularization Center of the China Meteorological Administration, said that clear, dry, and slightly windy weather conditions are conducive to pollen dissemination and prolong the suspension time of pollen in the air. To determine the relationship between autumn pollen allergy and meteorology, it mainly depends on the meteorological conditions such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed required for the rupture of pollen sacs in allergenic plants. Once the threshold is reached, it is the beginning of pollen transmission. ”Zhu Dingzhen said that different plants have different periods of pollen sac bursting, and it is necessary to determine whether the meteorological conditions before and after the bursting period are conducive to pollen propagation. In addition, if the calm weather lasts for a long time, particulate matter is more likely to stay in the air, and the probability of being inhaled and sensitized by people is higher. Why is pollen allergy more common in northern regions during autumn? Zhu Dingzhen introduced that there are actually pollen in both the south and north, but the south has more rainfall and higher humidity, and there are fewer strong winds that can form long-distance transmission of pollen. Rainwater has a scrubbing effect and can remove airborne particles. In addition, the plant species in the south are different from those in the north, and some allergenic plants only grow in the north. A few days ago, thunderstorms occurred in the north, and some allergy sufferers showed obvious reactions, even experiencing thunderstorm asthma. Zhu Dingzhen introduced that before thunderstorm weather arrives, strong updrafts will bring allergens such as pollen and mold spores into the clouds. There, they will break into smaller particles due to moisture and strong lightning, affecting allergic individuals. How can people with pollen allergies take preventive measures? Some local meteorological departments are conducting pollen monitoring and forecasting. The Beijing Meteorological Service Center cooperates with Beijing Tongren Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University to release pollen observation and classified forecast results every day, which are released through the "Meteorology Beijing", "Pollen Monitoring and Forecasting" WeChat official account and "Pollen Health Treasure" applet; Tianjin is one of the early regions to conduct research and forecast pollen allergy diseases. Since the end of the last century, the Tianjin Meteorological Bureau has been cooperating with the health department to carry out daily observations of pollen. According to Fan Wenyan, a senior engineer at the Tianjin Environmental Meteorological Center, in recent years, the Tianjin Meteorological Bureau has developed meteorological risk forecasting models for asthma and allergic rhinitis based on disease data in Tianjin. Currently, asthma meteorological risk forecasting has begun to operate and forecast products are released through the Tianji Meteorological APP. An Xingqin, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, introduced that pollen concentration forecasting is mainly based on knowledge from multiple fields such as meteorology and botany, as well as data analysis from various aspects. It evaluates and predicts the concentration of pollen in the air, providing timely warnings and suggestions for pollen allergy sufferers. In addition, the Health Meteorology Team of the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences has also collaborated with experts in related fields from Beijing Children's Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University and Beijing Chaoyang Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University to conduct a study on the impact of pollen exposure on residents' allergic rhinitis and asthma outpatient visits in Beijing urban areas, providing scientific support for the prevention and treatment of pollen allergies. According to An Xingqin, pollen monitoring and forecasting will provide targeted pollen concentration information, prevention and treatment recommendations for people with pollen allergies, generally carried out jointly by meteorological and medical departments. Experts say that pollen concentration is higher from 10am to 5pm on sunny days, especially in light winds, making it easier to float in the air. It is recommended that people who are prone to allergies pay attention to pollen concentration forecasts in a timely manner, choose to go out in the early morning or after rain as much as possible, avoid high-risk periods and areas, and take preventive measures in advance. Li Lun, attending physician of the Department of Allergy and Allergic Reactions at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, introduced that people with allergies should take protective measures when going out. Wearing medical masks or pollen protection masks can block most pollen particles, and wearing protective glasses can reduce the occurrence of conjunctivitis; Long sleeved clothing and hats can also reduce direct contact between pollen and the skin. After returning home, you should immediately change your clothes and rinse your nasal cavity with physiological saline to remove allergens and inflammatory secretions from the nose, reducing nasal mucosal edema. Air purifiers or fresh air systems can be used at home to reduce indoor pollen concentration. If preventive measures alone cannot effectively control symptoms, medication treatment is needed. Yin Jia, chief physician of the Department of Allergic Reactions at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, suggests that allergic individuals can take preventive medication to reduce the intensity of allergic reactions. The cycle of preventive medication should cover the entire pollen season, and generally needs to wait for a period of time after the pollen season ends before stopping the medication. For asthma patients, inhaled corticosteroids and bronchodilators should be used in a standardized manner to effectively reduce the risk of acute asthma attacks. Carrying and temporarily inhaling them can also alleviate sudden wheezing and breathing difficulties. For patients with progressively worsening allergies, desensitization treatment may be considered. Generally, after six months to one year of treatment, symptoms will significantly improve, and the entire course of treatment usually needs to be maintained for 3 to 5 years. ”Li Lun introduced that after terminating desensitization treatment, most patients' allergy symptoms will continue to improve in the coming years. (New Society)