Like every year, the residents of the pollen-allergy capital of the world, Islamabad, are once again suffering from severe respiratory allergy symptoms. The paper mulberry is expected to continue shedding its pollen for the next few weeks. Thereafter, the pollen grains may still remain in indoor and outdoor dust, and patients need to continue practicing their preventative measures and taking their medication until the third week of April, at least.
The symptoms of pollen allergy are the same as those of any other respiratory allergy, but the timing of symptoms is dependent upon the counts of the pollen to which a person is allergic. In Islamabad, the major pollen-causing allergy in spring season in from the paper mulberry tree (from the last week of February till mid-April), followed by the aggressive invasive weed parthenium (May onwards), and then the pollens of common bhang (cannabis sativa) from end-June till end-September. Paper mulberry pollens are the most allergy-causing, and perhaps the only pollen recorded in the world which has caused death due to pollen-induced asthma.