The Relationship between the Symptoms of Japanese Cedar Pollinosis and Pollen Dispersion

From the Standpoint of Pollen Forecasting

Abstract

One of the most important issues in pollen forecasting is the relationship between the degree of pollen dispersion and the progress of symptoms in Japanese Cedar Pollinosis. Nevertheless, there has not been a scientific analysis or report of this relationship to date. Recently, a study was performed to determine how the progression of symptoms of Japanese Cedar Pollinosis depended on pollen dispersion between 1989 and 1994 (six years). This research was oriented towards pollen forecasting, based on clinical materials from Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine and five other institutions in Kyoto with coincident conditions of pollen dispersion. The results showed that the critical point occurs when the pollen dispersion integral reaches approximately 30 grain/cm2; subsequently, symptoms progress rapidly to the moderate stage of pollinosis. From this moderate stage, symptoms become milder when a pollen dispersion falls below 30 for more than one week. However, the symptoms do not become milder when the pollen dispersion peak exceeds 30 grain/cm² within one week. The results of the present study may be useful in pollen forecasting and in early treatment of pollinosis during the dispersion season.