How long does fluff fly from poplars. When poplar fluff appears. How to behave during flowering

The real scourge of the season is poplar fluff. Not only, but also perfectly healthy people suffer from it. Glasses and medical masks will help minimize negative reactions of the body during the season of poplar fluff, which in itself does not cause allergic reactions, but carries the pollen of allergenic plants, according to doctors interviewed by Medpulse.

Poplars pushy and not very

The season of poplar fluff has just begun in Moscow this year, at the very end of May. Experts carry out sanitary pruning of poplar trees in the capital to reduce the amount of fluff on the streets of the city. According to a representative of the Department of Nature Management and Environmental Protection of Moscow, the downy poplar species are gradually being replaced with non-downy poplars.

According to the allergist, head of the scientific advisory department of the Institute of Immunology of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia Lyudmila Luss, allergy to poplar is quite rare.

Consequences of an allergenic storm

“Most often, when allergic reactions are noted during the spread of fluff, they are not associated with poplar, but with pollen from cereal grasses. In this case, fluff is a sorbent, that is, it collects pollen on its surface. And when fluff gets on the nasal mucosa, naturally, an allergic reaction occurs, but, I emphasize, most often not to the poplar itself, but to the pollen carried by the down,” said L. Luss.

According to the director of the Research Institute of Pulmonology of the FMBA of Russia, Professor Alexander Chuchalin, the capital is still experiencing the consequences of an allergenic storm that occurred at the end of April. "Allergens in the air basin of the city has increased 40 thousand times. This is unprecedented for Moscow, and this tail continues to this day, so we see a sharp surge in allergic diseases. The situation with allergies is extremely tense at the moment," Academician Chuchalin said.

He emphasized that poplar fluff is not an active allergen, however, it spreads other aeroallergens. “In addition, poplar fluff is a serious irritant, in particular of the respiratory tract,” said Chuchalin.

Wet cleaning, mask and goggles

According to Luss, the rules of conduct during poplar fluff season are the same as for any other type of allergy.

Chuchalin recommends minimizing the impact of poplar fluff by observing elementary hygiene rules: ventilate the premises more often if there are screens on the windows. “Make wet cleaning as often as possible, and put on goggles and medical masks when you go outside,” he said.

Upon returning home, you must wash and change clothes. You can't walk in the room in the same clothes as on the street, reminded Luss.

The head of the Immunological Center of the Federal Scientific and Clinical Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, Professor Sergey Sokurenko also recommends taking a shower at least twice a day and washing your face more often so that the pollen that the fluff carries does not accumulate on your face.

Those people who are already being seen by an allergist and know their own should take the drugs that the doctor prescribed for them. These can be drugs with both curative and preventive effects, Luss noted.

Allergy to poplar fluff refers to seasonal diseases and appears with the beginning of poplar flowering (from late May to June). Poplar filters the air quite well, so it is most often planted in large cities.

But this tree has one significant disadvantage - when flowering begins, a huge amount of poplar fluff is released, which, contrary to popular belief, IS NOT AN ALLERGEN. However, fluff plays the role of a kind of sponge, which absorbs all harmful substances, including pollen, harmful substances and spores of various plants.

It is as a result of the accumulation of allergens that an allergy to poplar fluff develops, manifesting itself as negative symptoms. In addition, poplar fluff is very light and can get into rooms, transport, public places, etc., causing disease in predisposed people.

With the development of any allergic disease, common features are determined, manifested by the immune response of the body, rejecting the antigen, defining it as a foreign protein.

Often, various types of intoxication (narcotic substances, alcohol, household and industrial pesticides, etc.), as well as poor ecology, can be a provocateur of an acute attack. Numerous studies indicate that residents of large industrial cities are 2 times more likely to suffer from allergies.

The cause of the development of an allergic reaction can also be a hereditary predisposition and hormonal disruptions in the patient's body. In addition, structural changes in the nervous system and the presence of chronic infections are of no small importance for the occurrence of allergic symptoms.

Symptoms

Allergy to poplar fluff is most often accompanied by the following symptoms:

• frequent sneezing, rhinitis;
• redness of the eyelids, lacrimation and pain in the eyes;
• possible difficulty in breathing, accompanied by suffocation;
• a hyperemic rash may appear on the skin, which can be local or spread throughout the body;
• as a rule, the rash is accompanied by unbearable itching;
• from the side of the central nervous system increased drowsiness, lethargy and fatigue. Sometimes dizziness and migraine-like headache are possible;
• in severe allergies, Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock are possible. In this case, the symptoms increase rapidly and there is a direct threat to the life of the patient. Therefore, despite the first aid provided, it is recommended to immediately call a medical team.

It should be remembered that allergic symptoms to poplar flowering are most aggravated in windy and hot weather. With any development of the disease, timely therapy is necessary. This will help avoid possible complications.

Therapeutic measures

Therapeutic measures to relieve an acute allergy attack primarily involve limiting contact with the allergen (in this case, poplar fluff). Further treatment is performed according to the following algorithm:

• to reduce the impact of inflammatory mediators, a course of antihistamines is prescribed (Claritin, Diazolin, Loratadin, Fenkarol, etc.). The use of antihistamines should be carried out taking into account possible side effects (drowsiness, lethargy, loss of concentration);
• to remove external manifestations, the use of ointments (Lokoid, Hydrocortisone, etc.) is recommended;
• in the absence of a positive effect during treatment, glucocorticosteroid preparations of oral and injectable forms (Prednisolone, Kenalog, Dexamezaton, etc.) may be prescribed. However, it should be borne in mind that hormonal drugs are not intended for long-term use, as they have a number of serious consequences;

• in all cases, symptomatic therapy should be carried out, and it is also necessary to follow a hypoallergenic diet that excludes foods with high allergenicity (honey, strawberries, chocolate, citrus fruits, etc.).

It is important to remember that with any changes in the general condition, it is necessary to seek medical advice to clarify the diagnosis and choose the most optimal way to treat allergies.

Possible complications of an allergic reaction

Any allergies, including an overreaction to poplar fluff, can cause serious complications, ranging from mild rhinitis and conjunctivitis to the development of an asthmatic attack.

Seasonal allergies are especially dangerous in childhood and during a woman's pregnancy. In children, if left untreated, most often acute symptoms provoke the development of sinusitis, otitis media, lymphadenitis and pathological changes in the respiratory system.

In pregnant women with the seasonal development of allergies, mandatory monitoring of the patient's condition is necessary, since there is a possibility of abnormalities in the intrauterine development of the fetus, since prolonged cough and impaired nasal breathing in the mother with allergies can provoke fetal hypoxia. In addition, in 50% of cases there is a possibility of transmission of the disease to the child.

allergiyanet.ru

In late May - early June, poplar fluff will appear on the streets of the capital, M24.ru was told in the press service of the State Budgetary Institution "Mospriroda".

“There were no weather anomalies this year, so poplar fluff will appear, as usual, at the end of May or the beginning of June,” Mospriroda explained.

About 300,000 poplars grow in the capital, 120,000 of which are being pushed. To reduce the likelihood of an allergy to poplar fluff, you should protect the windows with mesh or gauze, carry out wet cleaning more often - a vacuum cleaner will not help in this case. In addition, it is recommended to rinse the nose with sea water by buying a special spray at the pharmacy, and also not to drink alcohol, which traditionally increases allergies.

Experts note that poplar fluff itself does not cause allergies: pollen from other plants that gets on the fluff becomes its cause. Allergy symptoms are more likely to occur in windy and hot weather.

Residents of the southwest and southeast of the city suffer the most from poplar fluff. Fluff not only gets on hair and clothes, it often clogs the grilles of car radiators, which can lead to breakdowns. In addition, poplar fluff burns very well - rescuers constantly warn about the danger, but the number of arsonists does not decrease. There have been cases of children playing with fire in areas of high lint, causing buildings and cars to catch fire.

To get rid of fluff, poplars are pruned twice a year, but this is not always effective. Fluff is formed only on female trees: males release red earrings, pollen appears in them, which flies to the flowers of female trees, which is why fluff appears.

If males are pruned, they can turn into females and also become sources of down. If you cut branches on a female, then the tree will not spread fluff for several years.

Poplars do not change sex at all because after circumcision they lose their gender characteristics, this is caused by stress. According to the candidate of biological sciences Vladimir Murashov, this is observed very often in plants. Biologists say that before pruning poplars, it is necessary to mark where are male and where are female.

In the summer of 2013, the authorities of the capital announced that it was planned to defeat the fluff within 7 years, that is, by the summer of 2020. During this time, all females must go through the "inquisition" from the city services and disappear.

www.m24.ru

Causes of allergy to poplar fluff

There is a malaise only in the flowering season of certain plants. The disease has another name that was common in the past - hay fever, because people used to think that hay caused allergies.

Allergies are characterized by hereditary predisposition. People in this risk group have certain antibody proteins in their bodies that react with the allergenic structure of pollen. Connecting in the human body, the allergen and protein come into opposition.

As a result, biologically active substances, such as histamine, are released, which cause characteristic symptoms.

Allergens

To date, there are no characterized poplar allergens. The plant itself rarely causes allergies.

Cross reactivity

Poplar belongs to the genus of dioecious deciduous fast-growing trees of the Willow family. Cross-reactivity can be expected between members of the genus Poplar (Populus)

When poplar fluff appears and what pollen does it carry

In different regions of Russia, the months of the beginning of poplar flowering may vary. In the south, for example, in Novorossiysk, Krasnodar and Stavropol, the first fluff appears at the end of May; in the central part of the country, for example, Moscow - in June, and in the Northern Urals it blooms by early July.

Plants blooming at this time, fluff can adsorb their pollen:

Symptoms of Allergy to Poplar Fluff

And here is how the allergy to fluff manifests itself. During an exacerbation, the patient develops such symptoms.

• external manifestations - swollen, reddened wings of the nose, eyelids;
• sneezing attacks due to inflammation of the nasal mucosa, runny nose;
• conjunctivitis, itching in the eyes;
• disorders of the digestive tract;
• general malaise - headache, loss of appetite, weakness.

Allergy to poplar fluff in children

Seasonal allergy symptoms in children are much the same as in adults and may include:

• runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy nose,
• tearing, burning and itching in the eyes
• sneezing.

If your child suffers from asthma, you may also notice an increase in its manifestations - wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath.

In young children who cannot describe symptoms, there are some common signs that they are concerned about allergies. Among them:

• The child rubs the base of the nose up and down with the palm of the hand due to itching and irritation of the nasal passages.
• He developed dark circles and puffiness under his eyes.

The child may also become irritable and have difficulty calming down.

It is important to monitor all manifestations of allergies

Keep a journal or diary of symptoms. Pay attention to what your child does before the manifestation of an allergic reaction - where he walks, what he eats and drinks, and so on. Also, make notes about how the child responds to any treatment.

Timely completion of such a diary will help effective diagnosis and treatment.

How to distinguish an allergy from a cold?

A cold and an exacerbation of an allergy to poplar fluff have similar symptoms. It is important to be able to distinguish one disease from another, especially if it is not possible to immediately seek medical help.

Unreasonable use of antiviral drugs can cause a worsening of the allergic condition.

In the table below, you can see the main differences between a cold and fluff allergy.

However, there may be layers of allergies and colds. To prevent this from happening, people with seasonal exacerbation are advised to visit crowded places as little as possible and avoid hypothermia, since viral infections can seriously aggravate the patient's condition.

Allergy diagnostics

Several methods are used to make a diagnosis.

• a blood test, nasal discharge for eosinophils (a subspecies of blood leukocytes that absorbs and binds histamine);
• radiography of the parietal sinuses of the nose - in the acute phase, shading and parietal edema are noticeable;
• spirography (registration of the function of external respiration) - bronchial patency decreases;
• skin tests and provocative tests;
• questioning by an allergist about the seasonality of exacerbations, meteorological dependence, the presence of cross food allergies, heredity, a combination of bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis.

Treatment of allergy to poplar fluff

Pharmacological treatment relieves the patient of allergy symptoms. Antihistamines, including those based on hormones, are used, depending on the severity of the condition.

If the main manifestation is rhinitis, then cromones are prescribed, in severe cases, glucosteroids are shown in the form of nasal sprays, topical agents - ointments, creams. At bronchial asthma using bronchodilators. Vasoconstrictor drugs regulate the tone of blood vessels and relieve nasal congestion.

Only a doctor prescribes drugs and chooses a treatment regimen, since drugs not only have contraindications(for example, childhood and senile age, pregnancy), but also react with simultaneous use. So, undesirable effects can occur that complicate the condition of the allergic person and make treatment difficult.

Drugs that are often used in the treatment of hay fever:

• Loratadine;
• cetirizine;
• Acrivastine;
• Ebastine;
• Fexofenadine and others.

Effective allergen-specific immunotherapy (abbreviated as ASIT), which, in particular, reduces sensitivity to allergens, reduces the manifestations of inflammation. The therapeutic effect of vaccination is the more effective the earlier it is started. ASIT differs from pharmacotherapy in a longer clinical effect. Duration of therapy - 3-5 courses.

What can be done without drugs?

• When the poplar blossoms limit contact with the allergen. During the period of seasonal exacerbation, patients are limited to the time spent in the fresh air, they are not allowed to be in the green zone. Sunglasses are recommended when outdoors.
• After returning to the premises, shower, change of clothes required. But it is also recommended to wash the eyes with boiled water.
• The air in the room is conditioned, screens are installed on the windows to prevent fluff from getting inside.
• Mandatory daily wet cleaning horizontal surfaces. For patients with severe symptoms, clinics create special wards equipped with a fine air purification system that does not allow pollen to enter.

These measures are important during pregnancy, since the list of drugs that are approved for use during this period is limited.

Diet for an allergy sufferer

If the allergy to pollen of poplar and cereal plants has become aggravated, it is recommended to abandon products made from flour, pastries, since cross-allergy is possible. It arises due to the similarity of the structure of the pollen allergen and any product.

Also excluded from the menu:

• fish;
• poultry meat;
• mushrooms;
• smoked;
• spices, sauces;
• red and orange vegetables;
• chocolate, cocoa;
• citrus.

The basis of the diet is lean meat, butter - cow and vegetable, dairy products, greens and the like.

Folk methods of treatment

Celery

In folk medicine, celery root is used for hay fever. Take 2 tablespoons of grated root, pour one glass of cold water, insist 4 hours. After straining, use 80 ml three times a day half an hour before meals.

This infusion will relieve allergic rhinitis, dermatitis, urticaria.

Mummy

Shilajit is considered one of the most powerful remedies for allergies. Such an infusion is prepared from it. 1 g of mountain resin is dissolved in 1 liter of warm water, taken once a day in the morning, 100 ml each (children 1–3 years old - 50 ml each, 4–7 years old - 70 ml each). Already in the first days of treatment, night snoring disappears.

The infusion has a diuretic and laxative effect. Treatment is carried out in spring and autumn in courses of 20 days.

Prevention of allergy to poplar fluff

It is difficult to prevent an exacerbation of the disease, but it is possible. Here are methods to help improve the condition so that poplar allergy is easier to bear.

Allergy-center.com

You will need

• - Laundry soap,
• - sheet,
• - pillowcase,
• - ammonia,
• - confidant.

faqgurupro.ru

1. Prevention of exacerbations
2. Literature

Description of poplar and poplar fluff

At the end of May and in June, poplar fluff appears in cities, which many allergy sufferers (especially in the presence of pollen sensitization) mistakenly consider the cause of exacerbations of their diseases.

The plant that produces down is poplar (lat. Populus) is a genus of dioecious deciduous fast-growing trees of the Willow family ( Salicaceae), which includes about 35 species of trees, among which in Europe (including the European territory of Russia) white poplar is a typical representative.

In Soviet times, poplars were used for landscaping cities much more actively than any other trees.

It purifies the air, absorbs carbon dioxide and releases more oxygen than any other tree that can grow without much care in our harsh climate, on the streets polluted by automobile and factory exhausts.

However, along with poplars came a problem that at one time was not given much importance - "poplar fluff" (poplar seeds with a bunch of numerous thin silky hairs at the base).

There are more than 1,000 seeds in 1 gram. Thus, poplar fluff is not poplar pollen, which is present in the air in April-May, but seeds, for which silky hairs are a means of dispersal with the wind.

It is also important to note that poplars are the so-called dioecious plants, that is, individuals of different sexes are distinguished among them:

• the male sex does not produce seeds,
• the female sex bears the seeds and therefore produces poplar fluff.

Therefore, selective planting of non-seed male trees in the city and regular shearing of female trees is a measure to reduce the concentration of poplar fluff without compromising the beneficial properties of poplar (4).

Non-specific effects of poplar fluff

Poplar fluff, when released into the air, increases the risk of fires due to easy ignition.

In addition, it has properties to get into the respiratory tract and on the mucous membranes of the eyes. At the same time, it causes mechanical irritation of the mucous membranes with the appearance of unpleasant sensations.

With prolonged presence on the conjunctiva of the eye, like any foreign body, fluff can cause inflammation and infection.

Plants dusting during the appearance of poplar fluff

It should be noted that poplar fluff itself does not cause allergies so often. This is due to the fact that it does not have factors that contribute to the sensitization of the body and the occurrence of respiratory allergies, like pollen.

The size of the poplar seed and the length of its hairs are much larger than optimal for particles that create sensitization when inhaled (for example, 20-60 micrometers for pollen grains).

Most often, it is not poplar fluff that causes allergies, but plant pollen, which is adsorbed on the surface of the fluff

When inhaled, poplar seeds linger on the nasal mucosa.

In addition, unlike pollen grains, poplar fluff does not have a permeability factor, which in pollen grains serves to pollinate the plant and, when it enters the mucous membranes, allows the pollen to pass through the epithelium of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract (1).

The occurrence of symptoms of pollen allergy is due to the fact that the pollen of plants that are dusting at the time when the poplar spreads seeds is adsorbed on the surface of the poplar fluff. First of all, these are cereal herbs:

• timothy,
• cocksfoot,
• meadow fescue,
• meadow bluegrass,
• a number of others.

During the release of poplar fluff, the concentration of pollen from cereal grasses is maximum.

In addition, at the beginning of the poplar seed dispersal season, birch finishes its dusting. At the height of the distribution of poplar fluff, some representatives of weeds (for example, plantain) begin to dust (5).

Causes of reactions to poplar fluff

Thus, the main cause of reactions to poplar fluff is an allergy to pollen, which it carries on itself. First of all, it is the pollen of cereal grasses.

In the absence of pollen sensitization, the cause of unpleasant sensations upon contact of poplar fluff with the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and eyes is mechanical irritation of the mucous membranes by a foreign body.

Clinical signs of reactions to poplar fluff

When pollen allergens brought with poplar fluff get on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, a person suffering from hay fever develops an exacerbation of this disease.

First of all, these are the phenomena of rhinitis:

• nasal congestion,
• sneezing,
• itchy nose,
• profuse watery discharge from the nose.

The phenomena of conjunctivitis - itching of the eyes, lacrimation, redness of the eyes occur when allergens enter both the mucous membrane of the eyes and the nasal mucosa (1).

Also, with a high degree of sensitization to pollen allergens, poplar fluff (carrying pollen allergens) on the nasal mucosa can provoke a reaction from the bronchi. The reaction may be an attack of pollen bronchial asthma with the development of a cough with sputum and bouts of shortness of breath.

This confirms the concept of the unity of allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma "one system - one disease" (2).

Prevention of contact with allergens

To prevent exacerbation of hay fever against the background of contact with poplar fluff, the same measures are observed as for the prevention of contact with pollen flying freely in the air.

Allergy sufferers need to carry out wet cleaning of the premises every day during the period when poplar fluff flies on the streets

You should refrain from leaving the city during the period of exacerbation, agricultural work, walking in the park and physical exertion on the street.

To limit the entry of pollen allergens into the nose, nasal sprays are used that protect the nasal mucosa with a special film, intranasal invisible respirators.

After coming from the street, it is important to change underwear, take a shower with rinsing of hair.

It is not recommended to ventilate the room if it is possible to replace the ventilation with the use of an air conditioner. In its absence, it is better to ventilate the room in the evening in wet weather (after rain), when there is no wind.

On open windows and doors, you can hang a well-moistened sheet or gauze (in several layers).

In the car, you should also not open the windows, especially when traveling out of town.

Also, do not dry clothes after washing on the street.

In addition, it is important to prevent poplar fluff from getting into the room where you stay for a long time, to carry out wet cleaning of the room daily, and if there are poplars under the windows of the apartment, wipe the surfaces 2-3 times a day.

Since poplar seeds are relatively large particles, the use of invisible respirators (you can buy them in the Allergifree online store), sunglasses (or the preference of glasses for contact lenses in people with myopia and other accommodation disorders) has a good effect in terms of protection against poplar fluff .

The best means of non-drug prevention of symptoms is to travel to another climatic zone.

Medical treatment of an exacerbation

Drug treatment of manifestations of an allergic disease is prescribed by an allergist-immunologist.

In fact, the means of treating pollen allergic rhinoconjunctivitis are used:

• preparations of cromoglycic acid in the form of eye drops,
• intranasal glucocorticoids,
• oral antihistamines.

In the presence of pollen bronchial asthma, according to the results of the examination, an individual scheme of regular intake of inhaled glucocorticosteroids or combined anti-asthma drugs is prescribed. In addition, recommendations are given for taking bronchodilator drugs to relieve asthma attacks (3).

Prevention of exacerbations

In case of pollen allergy, for which poplar fluff is an additional provocateur, a visit to the doctor is important outside the season of grass dusting and the appearance of poplar fluff - in the autumn-winter period (see "Seasonal planning of visits to the doctor for pollen allergy").

At this time, a specific diagnosis of allergies is carried out by means of skin tests (prick tests, scarification tests). Allergen-specific immunotherapy is also carried out.

This is done to prevent severe exacerbations, expand the spectrum of sensitization and join pollen bronchial asthma to the phenomena of rhinoconjunctivitis and, of course, to significantly alleviate the symptoms of the disease in subsequent seasons (1).

For pollen allergy, allergen-specific therapy provides the best results (6).

www.allergyfree.ru

The residents of Tyumen will have to endure a downy attack for about two weeks - this is how long the balsam poplar scatters its seeds, which is generously planted almost throughout the city. The areas most affected by the poplar blizzard can be considered the House of Defense and the KPD, in the new microdistricts there is no such misfortune.

As the leading engineer of the committee for improvement and landscaping of the Kalinin district of Tyumen told the correspondent of "Vsluh.ru" Lyubov Melikhova, poplar is a very useful tree, and if it were not for the only minus - fluff, it would continue to be actively used in plantings. It copes well with noise and dust insulation, absorbs moisture well, which is important in our swampy area, and grows quickly.

Poplars began to appear in the cities of the USSR after the war. Planting began in Moscow, when it was necessary to quickly restore the appearance of the city, and then poplars spread throughout the country, including, they began to be planted in large quantities in Tyumen.

Author of the book "Walks in Tyumen" Alexander Ivanenko writes: “In addition to the frail woody vegetation of the Deputies Square, the microdistrict was filled with poplars. They were planted immediately when the houses were handed over for settlement, and they are all the same age as the microdistrict. A wonderful tree - balsam poplar - for the city. It grows rapidly, under good conditions it grows up to a meter or more in height a year, the leaves perfectly capture city dust, release healing substances into the air - phytoncides, reduce noise, and are pleasing to the eye when they are densely green in summer and turn bright yellow in autumn, they just multiply : stick a poplar stick into the soil and water it, in a couple of weeks it will turn green.

Now balsamic poplars are no longer planted, in Tyumen they are being replaced by pyramidal counterparts. What to do with old landings? Of course, you can't cut them out.

“Planned rejuvenating pruning of branches is carried out in the city at a certain time - from October 15 to March 31, the branches are cut either by ½ or ¾ of the length. Now, in June, there can be no pruning, even if the fluff is very annoying to the residents, except for sanitary ones - if the branches have broken off or the tree is dry, ”said Lyubov Melikhova.

Tyumen residents also complain about poplars because in June there is an exacerbation of allergies. Doctors say that the fluff itself does not cause allergic reactions, but it carries the pollen of cereal grasses, which is the culprit of hay fever. .

Firefighters live restlessly during the flowering period of poplars - fluff can cause serious fires. Here we can recall the fire at the Tekutievsky cemetery and in one of the city's garage cooperatives, which destroyed 12 garages.

He shared his expert opinion with Vsluh.ru and Sergey Yurlov, who worked for 25 years in the committee on ecology. According to him, poplars cannot be massively cut down because of the fluff, since they are a kind of “vacuum cleaners” - they perfectly clean the air not only from dust, but also from toxins.

“Poplars were actively planted in the 1960s and 1970s,” Sergei Fedorovich explained. - Then I didn’t really think about which of the “male” and which “female”, because the fluff comes only from the “female” poplars. Now they are gradually being replaced by "male" and pyramidal ones. This process has been going on for more than 10 years."

According to Sergei Yurlov, the problem of poplar fluff should be approached in a comprehensive manner and, along with the gradual replacement of poplars, pruning of young trees should be more actively applied. After pruning, the tree does not give fluff for two years. And where there are a lot of poplars, you need to plant seedlings of other trees between them and, as they grow, remove the poplars.

Mostly allergy sufferers suffer from fluff. This year, compared to last year, there are especially many of them. More and those who are forced to toil and suffer. So the other day in the courtyard at the intersection of Volodarsky and Ordzhonikidze streets, according to eyewitnesses, a downy whirlwind flew over a passing girl, which caused a strong allergic reaction, passers-by called an ambulance.

When poplar fluff will fly in Moscow or other cities of Russia in 2018, one could predict by the arrival of strong spring heat. After all, it was it that caused the early appearance of poplar fluff in the month of May, instead of the usual June for such a thing.

Poplar fluff floating in the air looks beautiful. With every breath of wind, it playfully scatters in different directions. But not everyone can safely enjoy this view. Many begin to be tormented by allergic manifestations caused by this beautiful natural phenomenon.

In May, poplar fluff, hated by the townspeople, filled the streets. He is hated by people prone to hay fever.

Pollinosis is an allergic reaction to plant pollen. The disease was discovered at the beginning of the 19th century. Today, pollinosis affects 15-35% of the population, depending on the region. However, these figures can be underestimated - not every allergy sufferer goes to the doctor, preferring to self-medicate.

But there is nothing to blame for poplar fluff - there is no allergy to it as such. However, fluff is able to carry pollen and spores of other plants, which just cause an allergic reaction, which manifests itself in the form of a runny nose, redness of the eyes, cough, dermatitis.

Allergological testing is necessary to find out which plant pollen causes allergies. It consists either of applying an allergen solution to scratches on the skin, or in a blood test for antibodies to the allergen.

It should be borne in mind that most allergy sufferers during the period of seasonal exacerbation show cross-allergy. Those who suffer from reactions to birch pollen may also experience allergies to carrots, hazelnuts, apples, and peaches. With an allergy to wormwood, a reaction to citrus fruits, honey, sunflower seeds may occur.

Harm of poplar fluff in Moscow for office workers and drivers of vehicles

In hot weather, office windows are often open. Fluff flying into the premises gets into office equipment, leading to breakdowns. It clogs the radiators, interfering with the flow of air, and the equipment overheats.

You can save yourself from poplar fluff by simply closing the windows and using air conditioners.

In addition, you should not work on a computer with the side wall of the system unit removed. You should also regularly inspect the equipment and remove adhering fluff.

Cars suffer from a similar problem. Litter and small pebbles flying out from under the wheels of the car in front fly through the air conditioner condenser and get stuck in the cooling radiator. Poplar fluff is also clogged there, which binds all the small particles of debris and forms a thick “fur coat”, similar to the dust that has packed into a ball in the dust collector of a vacuum cleaner.

Poplar fluff can cause fires in Moscow

Poplar fluff is extremely flammable - in a matter of seconds, square meters of fluff in yards, parks, summer cottages can catch fire. Large accumulations of fluff between garages are especially dangerous.

While adults can start a fire by accident by dropping an unextinguished cigarette into a down, children and teenagers often purposefully set it on fire for fun. However, adults also sin with this - for example, on May 28, 2018, a wooden house almost burned down in Bobruisk - two men set fire to fluff next to a building under construction.

Anton Kulbachevsky, Head of the Department of Nature Management and Environmental Protection of Moscow, answered all questions about the harmfulness of poplar fluff.

He stated that fluff is the best natural filter that absorbs all carcinogenic substances. And, of course, flying around the road network, it absorbs a lot of harmful substances and then, getting into the human respiratory tract in various ways, can irritate the mucous membrane and cause some kind of allergic reactions.

Even Kulbachevsky assured everyone that Moscow poplars would stop emitting fluff in 10-15 years in a natural way. It has become much smaller, and one should not forget also that a lot depends on weather conditions.

Last year there was a cold May and the beginning of June, so poplars began to be pushed only at the end of June. This spring was a very warm May, at the end of which fluff has already begun to appear, so flowering and fluff will take place in the first decade of June.

The destruction of poplars in Moscow will bring a number of big troubles

To combat fluff, there is only one way - to water it with water, sweep it into heaps and dispose of it.

At the same time, it is impossible to get rid of poplars - they are necessary to purify the air.

On the one hand, poplar is a source of fluff. On the other hand, it is the most tenacious and strong tree that can exist in a transformed urban environment.

The absence of poplars for a city like Moscow is fraught with big problems, including for allergy sufferers. The question is very ambiguous. I think that there is nothing to replace poplar for large, smoky highways and for the center of Moscow.”

Beijing found a solution to the problem with poplar fluff

Poplars were actively planted in Moscow in the 1950s and 1960s. The trees turned out to be ideal for landscaping the city - poplar is unpretentious, can survive even on highly saline soils, tolerates the presence of smoke and soot in the air well and grows very quickly. In addition, it is able to produce several times more oxygen than pine or spruce, and actively absorbs metal-containing dust.

Already in the coming years, there may be much less poplars in Moscow: in 2012, the authorities promised to rid the city of "fluffy" trees and replace them with other species.

These plans were confirmed by Anton Kulbachevsky, head of the Department of Nature Management and Environmental Protection of the capital, in 2014.

In Beijing, the problem was proposed to be solved in a more sophisticated way - to change the floor of the trees with the help of special injections. The fact is that only “female” individuals of poplars “push”. However, planting exclusively "boys" does not save the situation - under certain conditions, they are able to change sex. In particular, this is facilitated by the difficult ecological situation in cities and even pruning of branches.

In 2010, winter showed its sharp temper with frosts and February snowfalls, the beginning of spring - a sharp lack of water, and summer began earlier than usual by at least 2 weeks. An abnormally warm April gave rise to the rapid development of greenery - already now, in the first ten days of June, ovaries hang on apple and pear trees, the size of which corresponds to the fruits of mid-late June, at the same time this year lilacs, bird cherry, mountain ash bloomed, and the leaves on birch trees turned into Moscow in the last ten days of April. And, of course, the poplar made itself known, and how it gave!

According to long-term observations of the development of poplars, it has been established that the flight of down begins in early June and lasts about 2 weeks - but this occurs in normal, not abnormal climatic conditions. Take a look - outside the window a downy blizzard sweeps out the sun glare, city greenery, cracked streets ... and this disgrace began in mid-May !! The lawns are covered with a white blanket, fluff rises from under your feet with every step, rushes in the air, does not allow you to breathe ...

True, according to experts, such a picture was already observed in the 70s. But that doesn't make it any easier for us. Let's see why many of us are hostile to poplar fluff and, in general, to poplar itself.

Why did they start planting poplars in cities?

Poplars have been used in urban landscaping since 1946. After the Great Patriotic War, it was necessary to restore the appearance of Moscow as quickly as possible and replace the lost trees. It should be noted that earlier in landscaping to create parks, gardens, shady areas, hedges and protective strips, coniferous and deciduous trees were used - spruce, pine, larch, birch, bird cherry, apple tree, maple, ash, elm, oak, as well as shrubs - lilac, hawthorn, mock orange, acacia, vesicle and some other species, and poplar was not involved for these purposes.

The lost mature trees had to be urgently replaced with something. Dendrologists suggested that it is characterized by rapid growth, dense crown, ease of reproduction, resistance to urban conditions, decorative appearance, occupies a smaller area than other trees, due to the compactness of the crown, and is relatively cheap. The proposal was considered, the landscaping program was approved by Stalin, and poplars came to Moscow and began their victorious march across the country. And, by the way, they did their job perfectly. But…

Mistake or thoughtlessness?

As a result, the inhabitants of the whole country are doomed to eternal "downy" flour. Why did this happen? And - the eternal question - Who is to blame?

Did the scientists make the wrong choice? The answer is no, they weren't wrong. So what's the point then?

Poplar is a dioecious plant, that is, it has male and female trees. Males bloom, giving pollen, pollinating females, and females already give seeds, equipped with downy bats - hated down.

Reasonable question - Was it really impossible to plant only male specimens?

Well, that's exactly what was done! Only male plants were planted - and this was a fatal combination of circumstances. You can't deceive nature, and this is perfectly shown by the example of poplars. It is known that plants, some animals and insects in certain situations, adapting to living conditions, are able to change sex. After all, the trees had to multiply, so they found a way out. To everyone's dismay and displeasure, botanists, dendrologists, and other industry experts have observed the appearance of female catkins on male poplars, on branches next to male flowers.

By the way, I should clarify. Poplar fluff is not flowers, but poplar seeds. The poplar blossoms even before the leaves appear, its male catkins appear immediately after the buds burst.

So does down cause allergies or not?

Allergists unanimously refute all attacks on poplar, arguing that poplar fluff does not cause allergies, but it can provoke. The period of the summer of fluff coincides with the period of flowering of grasses, birch, linden and other plants, the pollen of which causes very unpleasant and even life-threatening allergic reactions in sensitive people. And fluff is a carrier of pollen, various pathogens, man-made pollutants.

The fluff itself is also unpleasant, being a purely mechanical irritant - in the heat it sticks to the body, tickles, climbs into the nose, into the ears, under the glasses. Agree, it's not pleasant.

In addition, even without fluff, life in the city is full of troubles.

People suffering from pollinosis - a reaction to pollen, can be advised not to leave the house without a gauze bandage, do not keep the windows and balcony doors open for a long time, use allergy medications prescribed by a doctor, and in no case self-medicate with herbal infusions and decoctions - this can be done instead relief sharply worsen their condition.

But the harmfulness of fluff is not only in this. It penetrates the premises, accumulating in the corners in lush snowdrifts and heaps, adding to the hassle of cleaning. The fluffs themselves are dry, volatile, weightless, very flammable. Fluff is a flammable agent, one unextinguished cigarette butt not thrown into the urn can lead to a fire. Yes, and children often have fun throwing lighted matches into the fluff.

How to correct the situation?

The only way, in my opinion, to radically change the situation is to replace Poplar balsam and other non-fruiting poplar species, for example, Berlin poplar, within a few years. True, public utilities do not want to hear about this, referring to the excessive cost of the event and the lack of funds. Choosing the right culture to replace is, of course, not an easy task. How not to get burned again. But it is necessary to do this, otherwise the torment will continue further.

It is possible and necessary to carry out competent pruning of poplars, forming them "from a young age" into a tree with several skeletal branches, and not into one bare trunk with thin branches, as they do now with mature, 50-60-year-old trees.