
Coping With Hay Fever in Prague
Following Czech pollen forecasts can help sufferers get a handle on their allergies
With its numerous green spaces, Prague is a great place to be in the spring and summer months. For hay-fever sufferers, however, this can be a miserable time.
Some relief is available for people struggling with pollen allergies in Prague, however, just as it is elsewhere in the world.
If the medication available over-the-counter from a pharmacy (lékárna) isn't doing the trick, for instance, you might want to see an allergy specialist (alergolog).
(Firmy.cz has a Czech-language listing of allergy specialists in Prague.)
The UK's National Health Service (NHS) Choices website advises sufferers to try staying indoors when pollen counts are at their highest -- typically the early morning, late afternoon and early evening.
If you do go out, the NHS suggests wearing wraparound shades, keeping car windows shut and showering and washing your hair when you get home.
If you know which particular type of pollen (pyl) you're allergic to, it's relative easy to keep track of the peak periods and take precautions accordingly.
Thanks to the efforts of the Česká pylová informační služba ("Czech Pollen Information Service"; PIS) and its 12 monitoring stations, information about high pollen counts (pylové informace) is widely reported in the Czech media, often alongside weather forecasts.
Information from the Czech-language PIS website is also available on the English-language section of Polleninfo.org, where Dr. Ondřej Rybníček posts regular updates about the current situation in the Czech Republic.
If you're away from your computer, the following list of translations should help you make sense of Czech-language pollen reports.
TREES | |||
English Name | Czech Name | Latin Name | Pollen Season |
Alder | Olšě | Alnus | February to April |
Ash | Jasan | Fraxinus | April to May |
Beech | Buk | Fagus | April to May |
Birch | Bříza | Betula | March to May |
Chestnut | Kaštanovník | Castanea | April to May |
Cypress | Cypřiš | Cupressaceae | April to May |
Elder/Elderberry | Černý bez | Sambucus | May to July |
Elm | Jilm | Ulmus | March to April |
Hazel | Líska | Corylus | January to April |
Hornbeam | Habr | Carpinus | April to May |
Horse-Chestnut | Jírovec | Aesculus | April to May |
Juniper | Jalovec | Juniperus | March to May |
Linden/Lime/Basswood | Lípa | Tilia | May to July |
Oak | Dub | Quercus | March to May |
Olive | Olivovník | Olea | May to June |
Pine | Borovice | Pinus | April to May |
Poplar | Topol | Populus | March to April |
Sycamore/Plane | Platan | Platanus | April to May |
Tree of Heaven/Ailanthus | Pajasan | Ailanthus altissima | June |
Walnut | Ořešák | Juglans | April to May |
Willow | Vrba | Salix | March to May |
Yew | Tis | Taxus | March to April |
GRASSES | |||
English Name | Czech Name | Latin Name | Pollen Season |
Cocksfoot | Srha | Dactylis | May to September |
Couch Grass | Pýr | Elytrigia repens | June to August |
Fescue | Kostřava | Festuca | June to August |
Foxtail Grass | Psárka | Alopecurus | May to July |
Maize/Corn | Kukuřice | Zea mays | July to September |
Meadow-Grass/Bluegrass | Lipnice | Poa | May to August |
Pellitory-of-the-Wall/Lichwort | Drnavec | Parietaria officinalis | April to September |
Reed | Rákos | Phragmites | August to October |
Rye | Žito | Secale | May to July |
Ryegrass | Jílek | Lolium | June to August |
Timothy-Grass/Cat's-Tail | Bojínek | Phleum pratense | May to August |
Yorkshire Fog/Velvet Grass | Medyněk | Holcus | June to August |
WEEDS | |||
English Name | Czech Name | Latin Name | Pollen Season |
Alfalfa/Lucerne | Vojtěška | Medicago sativa | May to June |
Chenopodiaceae | Merlíkovité | Chenopodiaceae | June to September |
Clover | Jetel | Trifolium | May to September |
Dandelion | Pampeliška | Taraxacum officinale | April to August |
German/Blue Chamomile | Heřmánek | Matricaria recutita | July to September |
Hops | Chmel | Humulus | July to August |
Nettle/Parietaria | Kopřivovité | Urticaceae | May to September |
Ragweed | Ambrózie | Ambrosia | July to October |
Rapeseed | Řepka | Brassica napus | April to May |
Ribwort | Jitrocel | Plantaginaceae | May to September |
Sorrel/Dock | Šťovík | Rumex | May to September |
White Mustard | Hořčice | Sinapsis alba | April to May |
Wormwood/Mugwort | Pelyněk | Artemisia | July to October |
Source: Česká pylová informační služba |
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