Pollens or flower dusts are male semen cells of plants having seed. Pollens that include the genetic data of plant are spherical or elliptical. For plants to reproduce, pollens must be carried to other plants. This carrying is performed by insects or wind.

Some plants have shiny pollens with smell and nectar. Pollens that carried by bees and insects and have a diameter of 100 micron are not so important on account of allergy, because these are few numerically and are so big to enter in respiratory system. In addition, since their structure is like beeswax they easily stick on an insect’s leg or on a plant’s surface, so they don’t mix in atmosphere. Real important pollens on account of allergy have 20-60 micron diameter and are carried far distances by wind. Pollens at these sizes break up into smaller particles after being affected by some meteorological factors such as wind, rain, dryness, damp etc. Some trees like maple, ash and lime have both small and big pollens. Pollens can enter into our houses through windows and doors and even through the wires on windows, but there are never pollens in a room as much as in atmosphere.

EVERY PLANT HAS ITS PARTICULAR POLLEN

Pollen times of plants are different according to their species. For instance conifers and leaf-falling trees spread pollens in spring, but grass and many flowers spread pollens in June and July. Lately blooming trees and weeds give pollens at the end of summer. In tropical climates pollen period lasts for 8-9 months. Pollen amounts in atmosphere changes from year to year. For instance, in 1993 birch tree pollens was seen very much in Sweden; there were many birch pollen allergies on children who were born in pollen season in the same year.

EVERY POLLEN DOES NOT MAKE ALLERGY

Causing allergic illnesses potentials of pollens are different from each other. There are four important factors defining this potential: Allergenite, Sizes of pollen, Pollen amount in air, Pollens’ suspending time in air.

Allergenite is an antigen’s stimulating ability of making antibodies of sensitive people. How much a pollen causes IgE production, its allergenite is bigger. Allergenite of a material is connected to its chemical structure. It is first time informed by Blackley about 130 years ago that meadow pollens cause allergy. Blackley shown allergic symptoms emerged on people who were exposed to pollens by provocation tests.

Causing illness potential of pollens is nearly related to their sizes. Pollens does not cause asthma, they generally cause to allergic catarrh, because their diameter is between 20-60 micron, so they cannot reach to bronchioles and alveolus. According to researches, in order to cause to allergy, there must be 25-50 pollens in one cubic meter. If we say an ear of rye produces 4 million pollens, a hazel-nut tree produces 600 million pollens and a pine cone produces more than 5 million pollens and a tree produces more than 10 billion pollens in a year, it will be well understood how much pine pollens exist in air we breathe. But since pine pollens do not have much allergenite, allergic illnesses related to pine pollens are very few. It is assumed that showy and colorful plants cause more allergies. For example illness known as rose catarrh is not caused by rose pollens but by tree and meadow pollens. Some pollens are so big that they can suspend on air only for a short time and they fall onto earth just after they were released. For this reason they do not cause any illnesses.

WAYS FOR PROTECTING FROM POLLENS

Being protected from pollens is not as easy as being protected from mites, because we cannot control the air we breathe.

Before all, you must know to which pollen you have allergy. Stay away from plants you have allergy to their pollens. Tightly close your windows and doors in pollen season. Use air-conditioners with pollen filters in your car and house. Clean your indoor air with Roboclean on daily basis. Do not go out when pollen amount is high in atmosphere (early morning, hot, dry and stormy weather). If you must certainly go out, use masks for your mouth and nose. In pollen season, avoid from outside sports and training. Do not go to places full of tree or grass; prefer seaside. Certainly wash your hair; because pollens might have been stuck on your hair. As soon as you come home change your dresses in a place other than bedroom.