A particularly allergenic plant reaches its pollination peak between mid-August and mid-September. And its impact is worsening with global warming.
Between mid-August and mid-September, a plant releases particularly allergenic pollen. Her name is mugwort ragweed and is responsible for conjunctivitis, rhinitis or even asthma attacks, as the report Slateaccording to information from ANSES.
“Present in the Rhône valley since the middle of the 20th century, mugwort ragweed has since continued to spread across the national territory, causing in particular the development of allergies,” explains ANSES. She arrived from North America by mistake.
Symptoms of Ragweed Allergies
Currently, it is estimated that 3% of the population would be aware of it, but that by 2050, this figure would increase to 15%, as researchers explain in an article about climate change and the evolution of allergies to pollen in Europe, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
As for the symptoms, ANSES specifies: “ Ragweed emits highly allergenic pollen which causes the same symptoms as other pollens in allergic people suffering from rhinitis (sneezing, nasal obstruction, conjunctivitis, redness, swelling of the eyelids, etc.) and strongly impacts their quality of life. »
The particularly affected areas, known as “heavy infestation” are the Rhône, Isère, Drôme or even Nièvre and Cher. For the moment, Brittany is spared.
What explains the intensity of these allergies?
The increase in CO2 in the atmosphere appears to be one of the aggravating factors in ragweed pollen allergies. Firstly, with this increase, there is more pollen production, secondly, ragweed develops more quickly and the pollination period is longer. Pollen would also be more allergenic.
Sources: Anses, Slate, Environmental Health Perspectives