What is in the air in June? The peak of grass pollination in Szczecin

For most allergy sufferers June is the hardest month of the year. Grasses are in full pollination, cereal pollen joins them, and in warm, humid weather the concentration of fungal spores rises. If your hay fever gets worse right now, it is almost certainly grasses that are the cause.

In brief

• Main allergen of June: grasses (full pollination) as well as rye and other cereals.
• In addition: plantain, sorrel, nettle, and towards the end of the month linden.
• Mould fungi: Alternaria and Cladosporium enter a period of high concentrations.
• Typical symptoms: intense hay fever, sneezing, itchy eyes and palate, cough, and pollen-related asthma in some people.
• How to cope: avoid mown lawns and meadows at the peak, air your home after rain, and if symptoms keep returning, consider tests and desensitisation.

What is pollinating in June — the main allergens

Grasses

Grasses (timothy, cocksfoot, ryegrass, meadow grass and others) are the most important allergen of the whole warm season. In June their concentration is the highest of the year. There is an enormous amount of pollen wherever there are lawns, meadows, parks and unmown roadsides. Symptoms are classic hay fever: runny nose with watery discharge, bouts of sneezing, blocked nose, itchy and watery eyes, often an itchy palate and throat. They get worse after mowing grass and on dry, windy days.

Rye and other cereals

In June rye also pollinates — among cultivated grasses it is the strongest allergen. Around Szczecin, near fields, its pollen can significantly worsen symptoms.

Plantain, sorrel and nettle

Herbaceous plants join the grasses: plantain and sorrel (significant allergens) and nettle (rather a weak allergen, but very common). They accompany allergy sufferers throughout the summer.

Linden

At the end of June linden blooms. Its pollen causes allergy less often, but the intense scent and the insects around the flowers can be an additional nuisance.

Not only pollen — mould fungi

From June to August the concentration of Alternaria and Cladosporium spores is the highest. They cause allergy especially after warm, humid days and may give symptoms similar to pollen allergy, but more persistent, with weakness and headaches.

How to ease allergy symptoms in June

• Avoid freshly mown lawns and meadows at the peak of pollination; ask someone else to mow or wear a mask.
• Air your home after rain, limit airing on dry, windy days.
• Shower and change clothes when you get home.
• Do not dry laundry outdoors.
• Consider a pollen filter in the car and an air purifier with a HEPA filter in the bedroom.

If hay fever returns every year and makes life difficult, it is worth finding out which grasses you are allergic to. At the AGAMED clinic in Szczecin we perform allergy tests for a wide panel of allergens — painlessly, with the result right away — and then we offer bioresonance desensitisation. Every body reacts differently, so if symptoms are strong, it is also good to consult an allergist.

Frequently asked questions

What pollinates the most in June?

Grasses — this is their peak pollination and the most common cause of hay fever. They are accompanied by rye, plantain, sorrel, nettle and, at the end of the month, linden, as well as mould fungi.

Why are symptoms stronger in June than in spring?

Because there is much more grass pollen than tree pollen, and the season overlaps with cereal pollen and a high concentration of mould fungi. The allergens add up.

When should I get tests for grass allergy?

Preferably outside the peak of symptoms, e.g. in autumn or winter — the result is then the most reliable. We carry out tests at AGAMED all year round. Book a visit: 519 055 858.