Inventory of the Recommendations for Patients with Pollen Allergies and Evaluation of Their Scientific Relevance

Abstract

Pollens are responsible for allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma. The incidence of these diseases, which have adversely impacted the social and professional lives of people who are allergic to pollen, has tripled in the past 25 years. Official institutes, health care institutions, public interest groups, and mainstream news media provide people who are allergic to pollen with advice aimed at reducing their symptoms. The aim of this work was to provide an inventory of the prevention guidelines in the world and to evaluate their scientific relevance. A PubMed search was carried out using specific keywords. The scientific relevance of the recommendations was evaluated based on the publications disproving or confirming their merit. The guidelines issued by 12 countries in Europe, North America, and Australia were inventoried. The recommendations for avoidance were most often based on scientific data regarding their impact on pollen exposures, but they have not been clinically validated. Several studies provided additional details, however, that allowed the guidelines to be further substantiated. These guidelines have been adopted in numerous industrialized countries in the world, and they generally appear to be of relevance.