Pollen Information Consumption As an Indicator of Pollen Allergy Burden

Overview

Journal Wien Klin Wochenschr

Publisher Springer

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2015 Sep 17

PMID 26373744

Citations 10

Authors

Maximilian Kmenta

Reinhard Zetter

Uwe Berger

Katharina Bastl

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The Austrian pollen information service distributes pollen forecasts and offers various options (webpages, a mobile "Pollen" app, interviews for newspapers, radio, TV and information for the press agency) to support and inform pollen allergy sufferers in Austria in the best way to help to avoid their allergen. These services are well received and user numbers have increased, especially in recent years.

Methods: Herein, we unravel for the first time the user pattern over time on a monthly basis and compare it to the major pollen seasons in Austria as well as to the allergic burden.

Results: The symptom load conforms to the web page user numbers and shows the same peaks from the study period of 2012 until 2014. The highest impact in user numbers and allergy burden occurred during the birch pollen season, although similar values were approached during the grass pollen season in 2014. Pollen loads during the respective pollen seasons of birch, grasses and herbs (mugwort and ragweed) mirrored the pattern as well, although to a minor extent, because different plant taxa have a different distribution within Austria and produce different amounts of pollen.

Conclusion: This study provides evidence that pollen information consumption can be seen as an indicator of the burden of pollen allergy sufferers as well as an indicator of the main flowering periods of the main plants inducing pollen allergies in Austria.

Citing Articles

Aerobiology matters: Why people in the community access pollen information and how they use it.

Medek D, Katelaris C, Milic A, Beggs P, Lampugnani E, Vicendese D Clin Transl Allergy. 2025; 15(1):e70031.

PMID: 39856010 PMC: 11761002. DOI: 10.1002/clt2.70031.

A global survey addressing sustainability of pollen monitoring.

Dwarakanath D, Milic A, Beggs P, Wraith D, Davies J World Allergy Organ J. 2024; 17(12):100997.

PMID: 39634514 PMC: 11612360. DOI: 10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100997.

Nonpharmacological measures to prevent allergic symptoms in pollen allergy: A critical review.

Bergmann K, Berger M, Klimek L, Pfaar O, Werchan B, Werchan M Allergol Select. 2021; 5:349-360.

PMID: 34870079 PMC: 8638355. DOI: 10.5414/ALX02294E.

Use of Social Media by Hospitals and Clinics in Japan: Descriptive Study.

Sugawara Y, Murakami M, Narimatsu H JMIR Med Inform. 2020; 8(11):e18666.

PMID: 33245281 PMC: 7732712. DOI: 10.2196/18666.

Translating the Burden of Pollen Allergy Into Numbers Using Electronically Generated Symptom Data From the Patient's Hayfever Diary in Austria and Germany: 10-Year Observational Study.

Bastl K, Bastl M, Bergmann K, Berger M, Berger U J Med Internet Res. 2020; 22(2):e16767.

PMID: 32130130 PMC: 7060495. DOI: 10.2196/16767.

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