Current understanding of pollen allergy: Its origin, impacting factors, treatment regime, and monitoring methods

Abstract

Pollen allergy is currently evolving into a major aspect regarding allergic bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis, which are significant global health issues over the past decades. More pollen allergens are being recognized as the changing patterns of pollen exposures trigger increasing numbers of suffering patients. Impacting factors such as human-induced activities and climate change can lengthen pollen seasons as well as heighten pollen production in general. Allergen Immunotherapy (AIT) is an advancing therapeutic vaccine for pollen allergy that can modify the disease and the sensitization of allergens in patients which are less common than symptom-relieving drugs. Monitoring methods contribute greatly to the necessary observation of pollen exposure for treatment processes and the well-being of patients. Automatic monitors are being developed using technologies of different fields based on the traditional methods of pollen counting.