Pollen allergies: Why Tauranga locals might have it worse than others

Harriet Laughton has noticed an onset of allergy symptoms since moving to Tauranga.

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With towns and cities being blanketed in yellow, reporter Harriet Laughton sniffs out the answer to the question - why are allergy symptoms seemingly so much worse in the Bay of Plenty?

When I moved from Auckland to Tauranga last year, one of the first things I noticed was an onset of pollen allergy symptoms. In the past few weeks, I have been sneezing and sniffling more than my fair share.

At first, I thought it might have something to do with the layer of yellow pine pollen settling all over cars and footpaths in the Bay of Plenty.

But Allergy NZ chief executive officer Mark Dixon says while pine pollen is a “sure signal” pollen season is in motion, it is rarely allergenic.

“The smaller the pollen is, the more likely it is to trigger an allergic reaction,” Dixon said.

Pine pollen pictured across a footpath in Tauranga.

This was because the size of the protein was larger, making it harder to inhale.

Dixon said when pollen landed on the soft lining around the eyes, mouth and in the nose, it dissolved and released protein directly into the immune system, flooding the area with histamine fluid, and causing hayfever symptoms like runny nose, watery eyes and sneezing.

Dixon said this response started inside the womb, where human immune systems mapped dangerous substances, interpreted harmless substances as threats, and triggered an immune response.

Dixon believed that my onset of allergy symptoms was likely due to the change of environments, like moving cities.

“Urban environments don’t have nearly as much grass and their pollen is the most common cause of hayfever in New Zealand.”

In an environment like the horticultural capital of New Zealand, Dixon said there was “an awful lot of pollen”.

Grass was the most common cause of hayfever in New Zealand, and with the country’s focus on agriculture, it was no surprise it was so common.

Dixon said the symptoms of pollen allergies lasted the duration of pollen season, which had a “big impact” on productivity and learning capabilities at schools.

There was a social cost too, and Dixon said there was a “fair bit of judgment” in the community due to the symptom’s similarities to colds.

“You’re just constantly explaining to people.”

Dixon said pollen activity was becoming more difficult to track with seasons becoming “a bit confused” as a result of climate change.

“It’s causing more variability and there’s not enough consistent evidence to make claims around the trends.”

Rebecca Greaves, owner and pharmacist at Johns Photo Pharmacy, said she had noticed an uptake in people seeking relief from allergies a few weeks ago, coinciding with the “yellow blooms” falling on people’s cars.

She said it was hard to say this early in the season if there had been an increase in customers compared to past years.

There was a range of options available, including antihistamines in the form of tablets, nasal sprays and eye drops, as well as a range of natural alternatives.

Harriet Laughton is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty.