this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2023
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This is the best summary I could come up with:
Victorians are being warned of a challenging year for hay fever and asthma sufferers, with the Melbourne Cup long weekend heralding at least a week of high-to-extreme pollen levels.
"As the weather warms up and the wind turns more westerly, grass pollen from Victoria's pasture lands can be brought into the city, aggravating respiratory allergies and asthma," he said.
Macquarie University environmental health scientist Paul Beggs has explained how even small increases in carbon dioxide levels can result in plants ramping up pollen production.
But streets full of London plane trees make walking and bike riding a misery for hay fever and asthma sufferers in spring, as their little fuzzy allergenic hair balls (also known as trichomes) float around on windy days.
City of Melbourne councillor, Rohan Leppert, who holds the environment portfolio, said although plane trees cause physical irritation for some, "medical research indicates grass pollen is by far the most common cause of hay fever in Victoria".
Allergist and clinical immunologist Professor Robyn O'Hehir told the Guardian in 2019 she tells patients to "wear wraparound sunglasses and avoid prominent plane tree areas such as street cafes in Carlton".
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