Seasonal allergies are usually marked by spring and the flowering cycle of plants. However, not all plant species have coordinated cycles in the spring months. Some plants begin to be protagonists with the arrival of summer . In this article we tell you what type of pollen appears in this month of June.
Plants also bloom in summer
Some plants may have started their flowering cycle in spring and are still continuing well into June. However, there are many other plants that begin the cycle in the summer months .
It is not always obvious since the pollen can appear in structures that are not as showy as a rose or a daisy, but they do not contain less pollen for that reason. For people who suffer from this allergy, the symptoms can appear in summer, even though there are no longer so many flowers in the parks.
What kind of allergies are there in June?
Allergic symptoms occur when the allergen, pollen, is released in high concentrations into the air due to these flowering cycles of plants. The most common allergy to pollen is of the rhinitis or rhinoconjunctivitis type, where the symptoms are located in the nose and eyes.
For some plants, these high temperatures are the signals to start the cycle. It is what we know as external or environmental factors. If internal factors, such as hormones and the amount of nutrients and energy available, are also optimal, the pollen shedding cycle will begin. For plants that are air-pollinated (anemophilous), causing allergies in some people is just collateral damage.
What pollen appears in June?
Although there is a margin of error due to weather conditions , it is possible to predict quite accurately which pollen species will appear this June. In addition to the new plants, the pollens that already dominated the air in the month of May during the first days or weeks of this month will most likely follow.
Since climate is a determining factor, pollen species vary by region and may appear or disappear at different times. To make it easier, here we explain what type of pollen you are most likely to find in each region.
Of the old acquaintances that appeared in May , the following types of plants can still cause allergies in the same regions: grasses ( Gramineae ), olive ( Olea ), oak ( Quercus ), sorrel ( Rumex ), mercurial ( Mercurialis ), pine ( Pinus ), plantain ( Plantago ), and urticaceae ( Urticaceae ).
As a novelty, chestnut ( Castanea ) and sagebrush ( Artemisia ) pollen, which could have been limited to the central area of the peninsula, is now more likely to be found in the north as well.
Some species appear for the first time in the central and Mediterranean area, such as the Salsola and Barilla ( Chenopodiaceae ) and Amarantaceae ( Amarantaceae ) species. In these families we find plants such as spinach, quinoa, beets and various species of “shrubs” that come to mind when they are dried and filmed in typical Wild West movies.
Finally, in the Canary Islands they go for pollen bingo, since in this month of June they will have pollen from almost all the species that inhabit that region, some in full cycle, although others only for a few days. Among them we find the already mentioned and also polygonaceous ( Romex ) and mulberry ( Morus ) .
North Zone
- artemisia ( Artemisia )
- chestnut ( Castanea )
- grasses ( Gramineae )
- olive ( Olea )
- roble ( Quercus )
- acceded ( Rumex )
downtown area
- castaño ( Castanea )
- salsola o Amarantaceae ( Chenopodiaceae , Amarantaceae )
- mercurial ( Mercury )
- of grass
- olive ( Olea )
- pino ( Pinus )
- llantén ( Plantago )
- roble ( Quercus )
- acedera ( Sorry )
- nettle tree ( Urticaceae )
Mediterranean area
- Artemisia ( Artemisia )
- salsola o queno (Chenopodiaceae, Amarantaceae)
- mercurial ( Mercury )
- of grass
- olive ( Olea )
- llantén ( Plantago )
- roble ( Quercus )
- acedera ( Sorry )
- nettle tree ( Urticaceae )
Canary Islands
- Artemisia ( Artemisia )
- of grass
- palmera ( Palmaceae )
- mercurial ( Mercury )
- olive ( Olea )
- pino ( Pinus )
- llantén ( Plantago )
- roble ( Quercus )
- nettle tree ( Urticaceae )
- polygonácea ( Romex )
- morera ( Morus )
Another important detail that stops happening in June and that was very helpful in spring is the frequency of rains. Rain and high humidity cause the pollen in the air to hydrate , and this amount of water makes it weigh more, and fall faster due to gravity.
The rain could give people allergic to pollen a break as it helped to reduce the concentration of pollen quickly. However, in this month of June the frequency of rains decreases considerably in some regions of the peninsula.
Therefore, the amount of pollen in the environment can remain high for longer , causing symptoms to last longer and there is no respite for allergic people.
How to protect yourself from pollen allergy?
As we always recommend, it is more effective to prevent allergy symptoms than to treat them when they already prevent us from having a normal day. Thanks to the different consultation web pages and new applications with alert notifications, we can be updated on the amount of pollen in the environment almost instantly .
Although these tools are very useful when adjusting outdoor activities, it is advisable to have medication on hand or even start taking it as soon as the first symptoms or indicators of pollen in the air appear.
If you have any doubts about your allergy, your GP , an allergy specialist or the pharmacy itself will be able to recommend which treatment may be more effective depending on which symptoms. If you suspect you have a pollen allergy, but have not received a specialized diagnosis, this is the first step to take.
However, allergy testing cannot be done during symptom season , so the best option is to manage your symptoms as best you can and wait until they are completely gone before making an appointment with a specialist.
Additionally, it is advisable to avoid outdoor activities and the use of masks , both normal and FFP2, as they partially reduce the amount of inhaled pollen.
References:
Bergmann et al. 2021. Face masks suitable for preventing COVID-19 and pollen allergy. A study in the exposure chamber. Allergo J Int. doi: 10.1007/s40629-021-00180-8.
European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI). 2022. Association of doctors, researchers and health professionals.
Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC). 2022.
