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Hay Fever in a Changing Climate: Linking an Internet-Based Diary with Environmental Data

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Abstract

Investigating the impact of climate change on human health requires the development of efficient tools that link patient symptoms with changing environmental variables. We developed an internet-based hay fever diary linked to simultaneously recorded pollen load and weather variables in Canberra, Australia over spring 2010. We recruited 42 hay fever sufferers to complete a simple online pollen diary daily over a period of 60 days. In conjunction, daily airborne pollen load was counted and meteorological data collected simultaneously. We focused on the relationships between temperature, rainfall, pollen count and rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms. Pollen load increased after a peak rainfall event until the end of the study. Compliance was high, averaging 79% of days per person. Nasal rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms increased in concert with increasing pollen load, and then remained high. Mucosal itching increased more gradually and strongly coincided with increased daily maximum temperature. Our study successfully demonstrated the feasibility of linking pollen load and climate variables to symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis in the Australian community. However, a larger study would better explore the nature of associations between these variables. Similar online methods could be used to monitor a range of health responses to our changing environment.

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Acknowledgements

As this article went to press we were deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Marjan Kljakovic (1954–2012), who was highly regarded in New Zealand and Australia as an example of how GPs can produce quality, clinically relevant research. We benefited greatly from his knowledge, philosophy and friendship.

Authors wish to acknowledge the invaluable technical assistance of Health Protection Services and Ben Keaney.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian National University Medical School, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia

    Danielle Eve Medek & Marjan Kljakovic

  2. Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia

    Danielle Eve Medek

  3. Health Protection Services, ACT Health, Canberra, Australia

    Ian Fox

  4. Research School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    David George Pretty

  5. Department of Archaeology and Natural History, School of Culture, History and Languages, College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    Matthew Prebble

Authors
  1. Danielle Eve Medek
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  2. Marjan Kljakovic
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  3. Ian Fox
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  4. David George Pretty
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  5. Matthew Prebble
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Danielle Eve Medek.

Additional information

Marjan Kljakovic—deceased.

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Medek, D.E., Kljakovic, M., Fox, I. et al. Hay Fever in a Changing Climate: Linking an Internet-Based Diary with Environmental Data. EcoHealth 9, 440–447 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-012-0787-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-012-0787-1

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