Allergy sufferers care greatly about the pollen count in South Africa, and now there is a website that lists exactly how good or bad it is each week.
South Africa (22 January 2021) – Weather reports in the UK come with pollen counts and warnings for when you may be at risk of suffering from allergies. I recall seeing this and being blown away! As someone who suffers from chronic allergies, knowing if I am going to have a good or bad day is essential.
Some weather apps will tell you about the air quality but never a break down of the pollen count. If you have allergies, you will know that being prepared for an allergy attack makes things much easier to manage.
Most allergy medications make me drowsy, so I have to take them before bed and hope they carry me through for the first half of the day.
Having had a bad spell of allergies and sinus related issues over the last two weeks, I was determined to find the root of the cause. I reached out on my local community group, to find out if my fellow neighbours have been feeling the same.
Turns out over 100 people in my area have been suffering from allergies more than usual. And then one incredible person shared a website that changed my life in mere seconds!
A South African website dedicated to sharing the weekly pollen count in our different cities. It is called The Real Pollen Count.
The pollen counting was the concept of the University of Cape Town Lung Institute Allergy and Immunology. Several universities around South Africa are doing the counts including; Nelson Mandela University, University of Pretoria, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Free State, University of Witwatersrand and University of Cape Town. Dr Werner Hoek, an Ear Nose and Throat specialist at Gariep Medi Clinic in Kimberly, counts for that region.
The website also offers a range of information for allergy sufferers and a list of South Africa’s most allergenic plants (the plants most likely spiking the pollen count).
Finding out about this website will be a big change in how I manage my allergies. I hope the same for those who read this article. Today I learned that grass pollen is prevalent in Gauteng, an allergy I suffer from quite badly. Knowing the grass count is higher, I will be able to manage my symptoms easier by staying indoors and closing windows when it gets windy.
You can subscribe to get a weekly email detailing the pollen counts in your city or check the website here. Do you suffer from allergies?
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