Wheezing And Sneezing: Pollen allergies in Mallorca

Atishoo!

Scratching, nose-running and blowing, eyes reddening; wheezing and sneezing. 'Tis the season to be allergic. If you are suffering from sore eyes, blocked or runny nose, cough or wheeze or itching, then you probably have an allergy. And you would not be alone. According to a report from "The Diario" yesterday, one in three people in the Balearics suffers from an allergy brought about by air-borne pollen. If you're having a few respiratory problems, take some solace in being re-assured that the Balearics fare rather better than the mainland of Spain; it's worse there.

This is indeed the season for pollen, and the season can be quite long in lasting until July. There is some worry that this will be a particularly bad year for pollen allergies, a consequence of the wet winter.

The evidence of pollen is not difficult to see. The yellow dust that covers cars and terraces is a familiar sight in spring. I've always presumed it to be pine pollen, and it may well be, but this is not the only pollen that drifts around in the Mallorcan breezes. The worst culprit is, apparently, the "parietaria", a plant or I suppose weed that includes nettles. Others are olive trees, cypress trees - of various sorts - and grasses of different types. Among the advice to combat the effects of pollen are recommendations to avoid going out between eleven and three, wearing sunglasses and not hanging out washing, as the pollen gets into clothes. This latter bit of advice is sound for another reason. Given the yellowy-green colour of the pollen, get a real strong blast of it and you'll end up looking as if you're playing for Norwich City (sorry, I think I may have used this "joke" before, but I like it anyway). I suppose Brazil might be more acceptable.

While hay fever and even asthma can be the consequence of pollen allergies, the effect of pollen on the skin cannot be underestimated. One such is what one might call "driver's itch". Car window down, arm resting on door, and later some damn annoying itch, followed by scratch, scratch and a scab. I know. I've had it. There is another downside to having the window down. The inside of the car gets smothered in the pollen. The advice being issued doesn't stretch to car windows, only to keeping those in houses closed, but it should do. Not that I'd take any notice. Itch, itch, scratch, scratch. At least I'm not wheezing and sneezing.


QUIZ:
Yesterday - Gorillaz, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w_upzACEVo. Today - "wheezing and sneezing" when they, strange Scottish shoegazers as they were, were at their most terrifyingly weird and wonderful.

Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.