Hay fever mapping? There ’s an app for that | Letter from Dr Sheena Cruickshank

Dr Sheena Cruickshank on how ‘citizen sensors’ can help scientists to learn of how pollen, weather and pollution interact to trigger allergy symptomsSeasonal allergies, such as hay fever and allergic asthma, are on the rise in the UK as your article (First hay fever map of Britain offers some relief to sufferers, theguardian.com, 20 May) rightly points out, with up to one in four people now experiencing symptoms each year. However, these are complex conditions, and just mapping pollen levels does not tell the full story in allowing accurate prediction of allergy symptoms. Many people will react to multiple things, not just pollens, and increasingly we are aware that environmental conditions, in particular pollution and weather, play an important role in when and how people experience seasonal allergy, although we have yet to fully understand the intricacies of these interactions.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Hay fever Allergies Society Apps Technology iPhone iOS Software Android Immunology Medical research Biochemistry and molecular biology Science Source Type: news