Overview
- Airborne levels of elm, poplar, ash, birch and willow pollen are high across most regions in April, and the first grasses have appeared.
- Allergy groups advise timed ventilation, pollen screens for windows, car pollen filters and changing clothes and washing hair after time outdoors.
- Warmer lowland areas such as the Upper Rhine Graben, Breisgau, Lake Constance region and the Cologne Bight tend to start earlier than cooler coastal or mountain regions.
- About 15 percent of adults receive a hay fever diagnosis at some point in life, which can disrupt sleep, commuting and outdoor work during peak days.
- Doctors note signs that point to pollen allergy rather than infection include clear watery nasal discharge, itchy or watery eyes and mouth or throat itch, with symptoms often easing on rainy days.