Between 1 and 3.5 million French people are affected by ragweed allergy and at the end of August, the pollen from this highly allergenic plant is particularly present in the department of the Loire, which has been placed on red alert like 11 other departments : Nièvre, Creuse, Allier, Saône-et-Loire, Ain, Rhône, Isère, Drôme, Ardèche, Gard and Vaucluse. Haute-Loire is in yellow.
Recognizable by its reddish stem, covered with hairs, Just five pollen grains per cubic meter are enough to trigger symptoms such as asthma, coughing or even itching, in sensitive people. The only remedy: pull it out, but it is now too late since the flowering has finished.
The pollen allergy alert map – RNSA
Wash your hair but do not go out with wet hair, air it but before sunrise or after sunset
People with allergies should therefore remain cautious and follow some simple advice: “You should brush or wash your hair before going to bed because pollen can settle on your pillow.”explains Laurence Ploton, head of the Health-Environment division at the Haute-Loire delegation of the Regional Health Agency. “You should not go out with wet hair because it retains more pollen than dry hair, overall humidity promotes the transport of pollen. You should not drive with the windows open, go out with glasses or even a mask”.
It is difficult to say whether the number of people allergic to ragweed is increasing or not, but despite preventive measures, the plant is increasingly present in our territories.
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The 05/08/2024
Ragweed: the Loire department mows down this scourge for allergy sufferers
