Ragweed risk: New app helps allergy sufferers in pollen chaos!

Ragweed risk: New app helps allergy sufferers in pollen chaos!

Österreich - On June 5, 2025, Dr. Christine Reiler in the ORF health magazine "deliberately healthy" an interesting program about allergic plants and its effects on health. The broadcast episode will be shown on ORF 2 and ORF ON on June 7, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. A central topic of the show is the ragweed (grape herb), the spread of which is becoming increasingly worrying in Austria. The first copies appear in June and extend the pollen season to over 300 days. Ragweed has a high allergic potential and can already cause air with a concentration of 4-5 pollen per cubic meter of air.

The ragweed's dangers are not limited to health impairments. Agriculture is also affected because the invasive plant in sunflower fields displaces other plants and causes crop failures. In order to curb the spread of ragweed, Uwe Berger, an allergy sufferer and founder of the European pollen warning service, developed the "Ragweed Finder" app. This app helps to locate the plants and to document their distribution.

psychological effects of extreme temperatures

Another part of the discussion in "consciously healthy" deals with the increase in self -diagnosis of mental illnesses. Socio-economic social science aspects are made by the sociologist Dr. Laura Wiesböck illuminated. Especially in times of heat waves, mental health deteriorates. The number of annual heat days over 30 degrees Celsius has been increasing for decades, which not only endangers physical health, but also heavily burdened the psyche. According to the AOK, the number of tropical nights in which the temperature does not drop below 20 degrees has also risen.

heat has direct influence on the human psyche; Symptoms of mental illnesses can be reinforced or new during heat waves. Scientists find that aggression, exhaustion and depressed moods increase during intensive heat. The MedUni Vienna warns that persistent temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius can cause or aggravate anxiety and depression. The climate crisis is a decisive factor that increases the continuing stress through frequent negative events and thus endangers health.

special challenges for diabetics

An additional topic addressed in the health magazine affects people with diabetes. The summer heat is a special challenge because it makes it difficult to adapt the body and lead to a fluctuating blood sugar level. These problems occur more and more often, both in diabetics who use modern technologies such as sensors or insulin pumps, as well as those who already suffer from the consequences of their illness.

As part of the program, health tips are also given, such as for genital herpes, an infectious viral infection, which is particularly distributed for sexual contacts. The importance of preventive education and the sensitive handling of such topics is pointed out here.

movement as an antidote

The program is rounded off by the initiative "Moving in the Park", which starts on June 10th and continues until September. Over 700 free sports courses are offered in parks all over Austria to stimulate more people to an active lifestyle and to combat the negative health consequences of lack of exercise.

Dienue app for tracking allergens and the topics mentioned show that the preservation and promotion of our health in a changing climate are a joint task. Further information on the effects of heat on the psyche can be found, for example, in studies that have been carried out by the MedUni Vienna and the AOK, and which are urgently indicated the psychological consequences of climate change.