When poplar fluff begins and ends. Seven rules of protection against poplar fluff

The real scourge of the season is poplar fluff. Not only suffer from it, but completely healthy people. Goggles and medical masks will minimize negative reactions body in season 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 the representative of the Department of Natural Resources and Protection environment In Moscow, the fluffy poplar species are gradually being replaced with non-fluffy 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, arises allergic reaction, but, I emphasize, most often not on the poplar itself, but on the pollen carried by 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 allergic diseases. Allergy situation in our country this moment extremely tense," 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. "As often as possible, spend wet cleaning, and when going out, wear glasses and medical masks," 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.

Of the city's 500,000 poplars, about 40,000 trees cover Moscow with down in May-June. This year he flew a little earlier. And all because of the warm spring, as environmentalists explain. For example, last year the poplars were downed at the end of June, because May and the beginning of summer were cold. Experts assure that flowering and fluffing of trees this year should be completed in the first ten days of June.

In fact, there is much less fluff in Moscow now than, for example, in the early 1990s, - Anton Kulbachevsky, head of the Department of Nature Management and Environmental Protection of Moscow, told KP. - Each such poplar is the most effective filter air. They grow mainly along the outbound highways - Leningradka, Prof Union Street, Kutuzovsky Prospekt. They protect against both noise and vehicle emissions. We change about 2-3 thousand poplars a year. In ten years, there will be so little fluff that no one will even feel it. Pushing poplars are females, since seeds are formed on them. There is less fluff when rejuvenating pruning of adult and very old trees is carried out. Now, under the Million Trees and Hole in Hole programs, we are planting three species of non-fluffy poplars. These are varieties Berlinsky, Simona and Black. And we take only male individuals. These trees perfectly tolerate soot, smoke and dust, they feel good in the city. For example, an adult black poplar can absorb up to 30 kilograms per season. harmful substances from the air.

In fact, an allergy to poplar fluff in nature is a huge rarity. Allergy is caused by grass-weeds and other trees and shrubs, the pollen and spores of which the fur lumps carry on themselves, says Professor Allergist-Immunologist Yuri Smolkin.

By itself, fluff, clogging up the nose and getting into the mouth, causes irritation of the mucous membranes. From this and a runny nose, and tears from the eyes, and a sore throat. These are the most common symptoms seasonal allergies- hay fever. Symptoms of an allergy to poplar fluff:

Sore throat.

Redness of the eyes.

Eyelids swell, tears flow from the eyes.

Nasal congestion appears allergic rhinitis(its difference from a cold is that it flows almost constantly from the nose, the discharge is liquid, transparent in color).

Possible skin reaction in the form of itching - the skin of the face and hands itches.

When poplar fluff starts to fly

In Central Russia, in the capital region, in particular, usually poplar fluff begins to fly in early June. Sometimes, if May is cold, the dusting of poplars "shifts" to the end of June-beginning of July. In 2018, May was warm, so poplar fluff appeared according to the usual schedule.

How much poplar fluff flies

Poplar fluff will fly actively for ten days, a maximum of two weeks, then go on the decline. By the way, in June in Moscow and the region there is a high concentration of pollen from coniferous plants - pine and spruce. Birch, maple, willow also continue to “dust”, but their rampage is already on the decline.

7 rules for protection against poplar fluff:

1. Try not to walk in dry windy weather, especially from 11 pm to 8 pm - at this time the concentration of pollen in the city is the strongest.

2. Buy a spray from a pharmacy with sea ​​water(aqua-maris, allergol, aqualor, marimer, physiomer, quicksand others - there are many of them, you can choose according to the price and volume of the bottle). And spray your nose several times a day. This will not only help clear the nasal passages from fluff, but also moisturize the mucous membranes and relieve swelling.

3. Don't let large cluster fur balls indoors. When driving through poplar alleys, close your car windows. And at home, hang on windows and balconies either a small mosquito net or gauze moistened with water.

4. Use humidifiers and air cleaners (washers). Increased dryness provokes allergy attacks. In order to always know what the humidity is in the apartment, you can buy a simple household hygrometer (a device for measuring air humidity). Values ​​from 40 to 65 percent are considered the norm.

5. If your house is surrounded by poplars, it makes sense to go through the rooms with a wet mop twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. Most types of vacuum cleaners are powerless against poplars: they do not collect super-light lumps so much as blow them up in the corners.

6. Many complain that the fluff stuffs up the nose. And start to drip desperately vasoconstrictor drops. But their constant intake causes dryness and destruction of the mucous membranes. So if unbearable, you can start up such drops no more than twice a day and no longer than a week.

7. If you have a violent reaction, try to eat fewer foods during poplar dusting that can increase allergic manifestations: honey, seafood, chocolate, citrus fruits, moldy cheeses. And also do not drink alcohol on herbs: tinctures, vermouths, liqueurs. And it is better to abstain altogether: any alcohol increases allergies.

IMPORTANT!

Allergy medicines - antihistamines - are now a lot. But each of them is “sharpened” for removal different symptoms. For example, erius best of all fights against urticaria, fenkarol - with a sore throat, claritin, clarotadine - with skin itching. Therefore, when buying an antihistamine, you first need to consult a doctor or at least carefully read the annotation. And pay attention to this point: is it possible to drive a car while taking this medicine (some allergy medications cause drowsiness).

QUESTION TO THE TOPIC

Poplar fluff itchs and inflames the eyes. Is it possible to deal with this somehow?

Evgeny Zaslavsky, allergist:

It looks like allergic conjunctivitis. The eyes turn red, watery, itchy and itchy, there is a feeling that there is a mote that cannot be reached. The cause of the disease is hypersensitivity to plant pollen. If you have not yet been tested for allergies, then you need to do it as soon as possible to find out which pollen of which plants you have a reaction to. Treating seasonal conjunctivitis is not easy.

The first important step- at least limit contact with the allergen. On the street, protect your eyes with goggles; when you come from the street, be sure to wash your face to wash off the pollen.

Also, during an exacerbation, it is recommended to adhere to special diet, allergists call it elimination. Exclude for a while from your menu such highly allergenic foods as chocolate, strawberries, canned fish, smoked meats, hot spices.

Go see an ophthalmologist. He will select for you antihistamines, anti-inflammatory eye drops, preparations of "artificial tears". Often, an infection joins the allergic reaction. Inflamed from allergies and lost her protective properties the mucous membrane of the eye becomes easy prey for viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms.

For several days now, Izhevsk residents have been complaining about poplar fluff - the city is literally immersed in "summer snow". How to protect yourself from fluff, is it possible to cut down poplars and when will the attack end, Komsomolskaya Pravda found out.

It turned out that, contrary to popular belief, poplar blooms not in the middle, but at the beginning of summer.

Poplar blossoms in May, and pollination - in June, - says biologist-practitioner and teacher of UdGU Dmitry Adakhovsky. - It is in June, not in July, as the famous song says. Usually flowering begins on the 3rd-4th and lasts about 10 days. This year is 20 days late.

According to the expert, we are now experiencing the peak of the poplar fluff season. According to Adakhovsky's forecasts, it will last another 4-5 days.

WHERE IS SO MUCH FROM?

Poplars in Izhevsk began to be planted back in the post-war years - then it was necessary to quickly green the city. Fast-growing and unpretentious trees are ideal for this. Trees were planted as the city developed. In addition to poplars, linden, ash, and apple trees were planted. Gradually, the landscaping of city streets with poplars was abandoned - there is too much fluff from it.

However, according to the chief dendrologist of Izhevsk in 1993-2006, Lyubov Yakovitskaya, not all planted trees have fluff.

In Izhevsk, work on the maintenance of green spaces is not carried out at the proper level, - she noted. – Now they are fighting with poplars, performing deep pruning, which is not always suitable. Correct tree shaping can help, but it is not the only way solve the problem of. For example, very old trees should be replaced with new plantings of other tree species: ash, linden, elm, maple - they are also well suited for urban greening.

There is another way to solve the problem - water the trees and knock down the fluff. That's what they do in some other cities.

If at least watering machines spray water not only on roads, but also on trees in the evening, then poplar fluff will fly in smaller quantities, it will simply stick together and settle on the ground, thus it will not fly like snow around the city and the situation may become better, - said Yakovitskaya.

But it’s not worth cutting down trees at all, experts are sure.

I don't think they should be abandoned. Poplars are very necessary and useful, all the dirt settles on them, and despite the fact that it is a complete hell for allergy sufferers, it is impossible to live without poplars in cities, - says Adakhovsky.

By the way, according to Firdaus Kharisov, deputy head of the Izhevsk Improvement and Road Facilities Service, now only emergency trees are pruned in the city - no other work is being done with poplars.

As such, we do not carry out work with poplars, - he noted. “However, if the tree is old and dry and really in disrepair, it can be cut down or crowned.

We sent a request to the administration of Izhevsk to find out exactly how the city authorities are dealing with the problem, how many poplars are now in the city, and how many of them are planned to be cut down, what trees will replace them.

HOW TO FIGHT ALLERGIES?

Poplar fluff itself is not an allergen, but it can carry street dust, microorganisms and plant pollen, which cause a reaction. In addition, poplar fluff irritates the mucous membranes of the eyes and Airways even healthy people.

Of course, it’s better to try not to be on the street, but if you still can’t avoid going out into the world, then you can put on glasses, they will help protect your eyes from fluff, the manager advised therapeutic department city ​​hospital №2 Anna Viktorovna. – And special nostril filters or just gauze bandages help protect against poplar fluff in the nose. There are many medications available to help relieve allergy symptoms. But before visiting the pharmacy, you should definitely consult a doctor who will help you choose suitable preparations. In most cases, they have a number of contraindications and have side effects. Therefore, do not rely on television advertising or the advice of a pharmacy assistant.

REMEMBER

A mosquito net installed in the windows of an apartment and office will protect the air of the room during ventilation.

Try not to go outside at the height of a clear day - the warmer it is outside, the higher the fluff flies. So, from 11 to 18 hours it is better to be indoors.

IMPORTANT!

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia in Udmurtia warns that poplar fluff can easily cause a fire. Only on June 25, the department recorded five calls for burning fluff. The reason is the careless handling of fire by unidentified persons.

The fluff is highly flammable and burns at a high rate. - An unextinguished cigarette butt or a match, carrying out hot and welding work can serve as a source of ignition. For children, setting fire to poplar fluff is a favorite pastime, after which firefighters often have to be called. Fluff flares up like gunpowder and fire can reach buildings and structures.

Regularly clean, clean and water yards, sidewalks and roads where fluff accumulates;

Do not make fires or burn rubbish;

Install barrels of water on the territory of the private sector, enterprises, shields with a set of primary fire extinguishing equipment (fire extinguishers, sand, hooks, shovels, etc.);

Stop any games of teenagers and children associated with the burning of fluff.

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, that was the reason early appearance 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, he playfully flies into different sides. 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 in early XIX 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 everything small particles debris and forms a thick “fur coat”, similar to the dust 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. 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 in Bobruisk almost burned down wooden house- 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 declared that fluff is the best natural filter that absorbs everything. carcinogens. And, of course, flying around the road network, it absorbs a lot of harmful substances and then, getting into different ways in the respiratory tract of a person, 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 enduring 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 complex ecological situation in cities and even pruning branches.

Blog entry date: 02.06.2018
Blog entry date: 05.06.2018

Poplar fluff, heat, MAY! Our spring came early and in earnest, and the fluff flew already in the 20th of May. Why did I suddenly remember this? Fluff for lovers of fishing with a feeder is a dangerous thing, which I want to talk about now.

It varies in different regions, but there comes a time when the trees bloom and fluff begins to fly. Usually it is poplar, willow, alder. If these trees grow along the banks of your favorite reservoir, expect trouble.

What is the problem with down fishing? The surface of the water is covered with a layer of fluff, sometimes there is literally nowhere to spit, such a dense carpet. When winding the fishing line, this fluff sticks and fun rides to the tulip. There he begins to gather into a ball and get stuck. AT best case it breaks through the rings with these lumps and ends up on the coil. At worst, the tulip is completely clogged, the line stops passing through the rings and your expensive feeder tip breaks!

What to do? Stay at home or go to float fishing? This is not our method! Around this time, the bream spawns. But, as we know, the bream does not spawn in formation on command. At this time, you can usually meet both those that have already swept away (and even fallen ill), and those that have not yet spawned. Some of the fish, of course, are busy with business, but we do not interfere with them and do not catch them. The rest are enough.

First. When going fishing at such a time, it is better to choose a monofilament, not a line. The monk is smoother and all the debris slides off of it quite well, which can not be said about the cord. But remember that this is not a 100% solution to the problem! Yes, and it may turn out that they came fishing with one reel on which the cord is wound, and there is fluff on the water, because two days ago it flew off. And you have to catch on the line.

Second. Take the feeder, which has the largest access rings on the tops. This is especially true for the tulip. It’s better to let the fluff jump onto the coil, from where you can calmly remove it before casting, than a 2 mm tulip will clog and lead to breakage.

Third. Pooh almost never jumps suddenly around a corner. At first, he accumulates on gear for some time and only then, if measures are not taken, he clogs everything tightly and leads to a breakdown. Therefore, when you hear a characteristic tapping during the next cast (these are fluff lumps flying through the rings), you should immediately take action.

I put the feeder in working position and check the entire length, most likely some of the fluff will be between the rings (these lumps could not fly away when casting). They must be removed from the cord (or fishing line). Fluff is removed quite simply if you have nails. The tension of the fishing line is given with one hand, and the other fluff is collected with fingers and nails as if pulled off with tweezers. Repeat until the line is completely clean.

Next, we wind out the tackle and look at the spool of the reel. If lumps of fluff have penetrated there, we also remove them from there, but you don’t even need to give tension, the lump is already fixed with a wound fishing line. Therefore, we simply pluck it with our nails.

We wind the feeder all the way to the top and then lower it back. We remove all the fluff that has gathered there near the feeder. And only after that we continue fishing.

Fourth. If you missed everything that I talked about above and feel that when winding up the fishing line is getting worse and worse and is about to get stuck tightly, do not bring it to breakage. Put the feeder on the rack and clean what has gathered at the tulip. And it doesn't matter if the roach is small on the hook, a trophy, or there is no one. The top is more expensive. We stopped, cleaned, then exhausted, if we were lucky, your trophy and again returned to point 3 - the complete cleaning of the gear from fluff.

Fifth. Immediately after casting, start reeling with the reel, taking out the slack. Your task is to prevent the fishing line or cord from lying on the water for a long time. She will immediately collect all the fluff from this segment. By continuous slow selection of slack, we ensure that the fishing line does not lie on the water, but enters the water at one point. So much less fluff will stick to it. Respectively, optimal location for fishing - from a small cliff. Well, or raise the feeder higher.

Sixth. When there is an unrealistically high amount of fluff (in my practice, it happened that every cast (!) had to stop reeling and clean the line), then there is one little life hack that will make life much easier. If the shore allows, when reeling (both idle and with fish!) Keep the tip of the feeder in the water so that the entire line is completely sunk. And do not spin the reel like crazy, so that neither the fish nor the feeder pops up anywhere when playing. It’s a little unusual and dreary, but once a year, getting into crazy fluff, it’s quite possible to make life much easier for yourself. This should also include winding through a rag or something similar lying on a counter so that the fluff does not reach the tulip. Someone will call it a perversion, but the tops will be more whole.