The Clinical Utility of Pollen Counts.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2019
Identifier
DOI: 10.1007/s12016-018-8698-8
Abstract
In this review, we describe how pollen counts are performed, the health effects caused by exposure to varying amounts of pollen, the clinical utility of reporting pollen counts to the public, and how that information can be used by patients who have allergies to improve their health. The public is very interested in pollen counts, particularly if the counts provide a forecast of expected pollen exposure for the next few days. Traditional pollen counts are labor-intensive; poorly distributed; and, since the counts are usually 1-day-old, do not provide forecasts that can be acted on. New methods that provide short- and long-term pollen forecasts can provide this information to allergic individuals so that they can respond to changing outdoor conditions. Studies of the relationship between artificial and natural exposure to pollen and development of symptoms have provided improved understanding into how much pollen it takes to cause symptoms. Thresholds for pollen counts that trigger symptoms vary by pollen type, sensitivity of the population, and interactions with other atmospheric exposures. Strategies to inform the public when the pollen count poses a health risk have been proposed along with computerized systems that provide personalized pollen alerts. The best performing public notification system was a "traffic light system" that reported pollen exposure as low, 0-30; intermediate, 31-50; or high, 51-150. This system outperformed other threshold systems used in Sweden and in Britain/Denmark. Continued improvements in pollen forecasting models combined with data provided by automated pollen counters and better public reporting should permit allergic individuals and urban planners to adapt effectively to changes in outdoor aeroallergen exposures.
Journal Title
Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology
Volume
57
Issue
3
First Page
340
Last Page
349
MeSH Keywords
Allergens; Cell Count; Climate; Humans; Pollen; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal; Severity of Illness Index
Keywords
Allergic rhinitis; Pollen; Ragweed
Recommended Citation
Geller-Bernstein C, Portnoy JM. The Clinical Utility of Pollen Counts. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2019;57(3):340-349. doi:10.1007/s12016-018-8698-8
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