If You Felt Allergy Relief this Week its Because the Pollen Count was Lower

Photo Credit: Pexels

The weekly pollen count this week showed lower levels throughout South Africa; also, Potchefstroom has now been added to the reporting list too!

South Africa (03 February 2023) – Knowing the pollen count is a great way to understand how your allergies respond due to air around you. Potchefstroom is now also part of the weekly reporting being done in South Africa. We try to remind readers of this awesome free weekly service every year because it is so helpful for planning life as an allergy sufferer.

The South African website is dedicated to sharing the weekly pollen count in our different cities. It is called The Real Pollen Count.

Pollen counting was the concept of the University of Cape Town Lung Institute Allergy and Immunology. Several universities and medical institutions around South Africa assist in doing the counts, which includes; CSIR Pretoria, Kimberly Gariep Mediclinic, Nelson Mandela University, North-West University, University of Pretoria, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Free State, University of Witwatersrand and the University of Cape Town.

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 has been a big change in how South Africans manage allergies. You can subscribe to get a weekly email detailing the pollen counts in your city or check the website here.

We will be sure to keep you updated if any new cities are added to the list.

As you can see for this past week, most pollen counts were low.

How it works:

Green – Very Low

No action required. Pollen levels pose no risk to allergy sufferers.

Yellow – Low

< 20% of pollen allergy sufferers will experience symptoms. Known seasonal allergy sufferers should commence preventative therapies e.g. nasal steroid sprays.

Orange – Moderate

> 50% of pollen allergy sufferers will experience symptoms. Need for increased use of acute treatments e.g. non-sedating antihistamines.

Darker Orange – High

> 90% of pollen allergy sufferers will experience symptoms. Very allergic patients and asthmatics should limit outdoor activities and keep indoor areas free from wind exposure. Check section on pollen and day-to-day weather changes for planning activities.

Red – Very High

These levels are potentially very dangerous for pollen allergy sufferers, especially asthmatics. Outdoor activities should be avoided.