Epidemiology and Mechanisms of Allergic Reactions to Grass Pollen

The purpose of the study was to investigate grass pollen allergy to gain a better understanding of its manifestations, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. A comprehensive review of the relevant literature was conducted using academic databases to gather existing knowledge on the topic. Results revealed that about 40% of patients in Europe are allergic to pollen, and more of them are sensitive to grass pollen. The most common allergens in Europe are pollen from grasses, birch, and ragweed. Symptoms caused by these allergens include sneezing, difficulty breathing due to swelling of the nasal mucosa, itching in the nose and eyes, runny nose, sore throat, drowsiness, general weakness, decreased attention, headaches, cough with shortness of breath or wheezing. The most important allergens of grass pollen are the molecules of perennial timothy’s Phl p 1, Phl p 4, and Phl p 5. Of these, Phl p 1 is the most common allergen, which plays an important diagnostic role. Green spaces can have a protective effect on the severity of allergic symptoms. Air pollution, on the contrary, is associated with an aggravation of allergy symptoms. In Poland, where urbanization and air pollution are urgent problems, this can exacerbate the situation with allergic manifestations to grass pollen. Thunderstorm asthma posed a serious threat to people with pollen allergies, especially in the spring and summer, when grass pollen levels are particularly high. Grass pollen plays an important role in exacerbating childhood asthma and can cause repeated hospitalizations in pediatric departments. Allergen immunotherapy remains the only treatment for allergic rhinitis and asthma that can alter the course of the disease. In Poland, allergy to grass pollen is common, so subcutaneous and sublingual immunotherapy can be used for long-term control of allergic symptoms. However, patient adherence to long-term therapy remains a problem, as in other countries.