Cape Town pollen count is the highest it’s been in ten years

Cape Town pollen count is the highest it’s been in ten years

 

 

Professor Keertan Dheda has warned that the pollen count in Cape Town is the highest it’s been in ten years.

 

What is pollen?

Buzz About Bees defines pollen as a substance that “carries cells which enable fertilization of plants, thus enabling the plant to reproduce.”

 

Pollen is produced by the anthers of seed-bearing plants. These consist of a number of fine, microscopic grains which contain male gametes.

The Spring season is regarded, by pulmonologists, as a period of pollination. This is when the natural elements (wind, etc) carry the transfer of grains to the female reproductive structure.

 

Because of this, pollen allergies are common, especially in polar and temperate climate zones. While the substance is a great source of protein for insects such as bees, it can be a nightmare for people suffering with hay fever and asthma.

 

Why has it risen so much in the last ten years?

This, Professor Dheda, a Pulmonologist, says is what is happening in Cape Town at the moment, at a much higher rate than ever before.

Speaking in an interview with Cape Talk, she revealed that people who suffer from hayfever and asthma will be the worst affected. Prof Dheda indicated that the pollen count, in Cape Town, is five times higher than the level regarded as ‘very high

 

 

“The increase in pollen is a global phenomenon. Cape Town is particularly affected. We’ve had a good rainy season and a very hot spring and this has led to an increase in pollen counts.

“It’s a perfect storm of factors that drive up pollen counts. This will impact people who suffer from hayfever and asthma,” she said.

 

Prof Dheda advised people who suffer from hay fever and asthma to not lock up the medicine cupboard just yet, it’s going to be a long season filled with rampant sneezing and tight chests.