Pollen Levels Rising: Allergists Urge Early Medication as Spring Approaches

As temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases, signaling the impending arrival of spring, allergy sufferers are bracing for a potentially intense pollen season. Recent data indicates a surge in pollen levels, prompting allergists to advise starting prescribed medication now, as levels are predicted to exceed those of the previous year.

Pollen Forecast: What to Expect

Currently, shade plantain pollen levels in the province of Córdoba, Spain, are low to very low, but are expected to reach “high” levels in the Guadalquivir Valley and “moderate” levels across much of the province next week. Cypress pollen is also currently moderate but is projected to increase to high levels in the south, north, and central areas of Córdoba in the coming week. Urticaceae (nettles) are present at moderate levels throughout the province, with some areas still experiencing low intensity.

Grasses, holm oaks, and olive trees currently exhibit low pollen levels.

National Pollen Trends

At a national level, moderate concentrations of cypress pollen are observed in the south, center, and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. Nettle pollen is moderately high in the south, while ash pollen is moderate in the northeast. Forecasts predict moderate cypress pollen levels across most of the peninsula next week, with potentially high concentrations in the south. Nettle pollen is expected to remain at moderate levels in the southern regions.

Allergist Recommendations: Start Medication Now

Allergists are urging individuals with allergies to begin taking their prescribed medication immediately. The combination of recent storms and warmer temperatures is creating conditions for higher pollen levels than last year, which already experienced above-average counts.

Pilar Lara, an allergist from Virgen Macarena Hospital and member of the Aerobiology Committee of the Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, explained that cypress pollen levels have already spiked in provinces like Seville, reaching a record 655 grams per cubic meter of air on February 16th at the Hospital del Tomillar station. The reactive level, which triggers symptoms in patients, is declared at 135 grams per cubic meter of air.

Beyond Medication: Barrier Measures and Immunotherapy

Following cypress pollen, plane tree and olive tree pollens will turn into prevalent. In addition to medication, Lara recommends implementing “barrier” measures, such as avoiding countryside or green areas, wearing sunglasses, and keeping windows closed during peak pollination hours. Allergy vaccines (immunotherapy) are also proving effective.

Advances in allergy diagnosis are leading to more personalized vaccine compositions, targeting the specific proteins to which a patient reacts, resulting in increased effectiveness.

Allergy Prevalence in Andalusia and Spain

The Andalusian Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (Alergosur) reported in 2025 that 25% of the urban population and 15% of the rural population in Andalusia suffer from some type of allergy, affecting over 2.5 million Andalusians. Grass and olive pollens are the most common allergy triggers, leading to symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis and bronchial asthma.

Nationally, approximately 16.5% of the Spanish population, or around eight million people, are allergic to pollen. Virgen Macarena Hospital, a leading reference hospital, handled 25,000 allergy consultations in 2025, including 6,000 first-time referrals from primary care physicians.