The fluff you see on the street isn’t pollen, but if you’re allergic, it’s best to avoid it.

Although summer is approaching in the northern hemisphere, spring is still raging due to allergy. Sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and other common symptoms have become a recurring nightmare for allergy sufferers who would like to be able to run away from pollen as you approach him. But, of course, you would have to see it for that, and that’s usually not possible with the naked eye.

Sometimes we get confused and think that those cotton turntables that fly from some trees like poplarsThese are collections of pollen. But the truth is, no. Actually it’s about seeds on which these villi grow make the flight easier and that they can spread as far as possible.

Pollen is made up of much smaller grains that cannot be seen when exposed to air, although they can be seen when build up on the surface. Now, fortunately for people with allergies, there is detectors in which pollen levels of various plants are measured. In Spain we have measuring stations all over the country and their data can be seen in a very organized way on the website of the Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology. Although there are tracks on some weather pages, for example Time.

What is pollen?

Plant grains with seeds containing pollen are called pollen. male gametophytes. Compared to animals, these gametophytes would be the equivalent of spermatozoa.

These grains fly to make it easier for the male gametes to access the female gametes of the flowers and thus produce fertilization. Exactly then seeds containing germ. These seeds can also fly to other places to prevent new plants from concentrating in one place.

We have already seen why pollen travels through the air. And why do they do it too? cotton poplar seeds. They both need this movement, but usually only pollen causes allergies.

Now you need to take something into account, namely that the poplar fluff may be accompanied by pollen. Its hairs are very sticky and can attract all sorts of particles, including the pollen itself. Poplar will no longer be a problem, because the seed is already formed. However, pollen from other late flowering plants, such as olive trees or grasses, may adhere to them. And this is dangerous, so we should avoid them if we have allergies.

Origin of allergies

Pollen allergy, like other allergies, occurs when the immune system recognizes the external agent as dangerous. This causes it to react in the same way as it would to a virus or bacterium.

In particular, in the case of allergies, what happens is that one type of antibody, Immunoglobulin Ebind to this substance, known as an allergen, and cause the formation of certain substances, such as histamines, which modulate both antibody-mediated humoral and cellular immune responses. This creates a vicious circle, the result of which is the appearance of characteristic allergy symptoms.

And it is that although our the immune system this is very important for our survival, excessive activities end up causing us problems. His fight against pathogens, real or misunderstood (as in the case of allergies), can be imagined as a mounted battle between two enemy armies. The good guys may prevail, but the battlefield will be trampled and damaged in the process. And that battlefield is our body. In the case of allergies, including pollen, the symptoms of this fight are sneezing, runny nose, itching, sore throat and more. They can be mild or intense, and in some cases can cause more dangerous situations such as asthma or anaphylaxis.

This is why it is important that those with pollen allergies clearly understand the level of cause of their discomfort. They cannot see it flying through the air, but they can monitor the levels measured by detectors in their province. As for the grinders, it’s good to know that it’s not about the pollen, it’s about the they can transport it. So if you’ve been running from them, keep running.