Cash dries up for studies into plague of runny noses

New Zealand is lagging behind other countries in the study of pollen and allergies, although New Zealanders have among the highest allergy rates in the world, researchers say.

Experts at Otago and Massey Universities have applied for money for "pollen count" studies for more than 10 years over but have been repeatedly rebuffed by funding bodies.

University of Otago asthma expert Professor Julian Crane said the constant rejections were disappointing because New Zealand was a "highly allergic" country, with much higher asthma rates than other countries. The bulk of New Zealand asthma was likely to be caused by allergies.

"There's a tremendous dearth of research into pollen because it's very hard to get money though it's a significant problem," he said.

Plant biologist David Fountain, an associate professor at Massey University, said he had given up trying to attract money for pollen count studies, after more than 15 attempts.

"I thought it was unfair to the taxpayer for me to keep wasting my time trying."

The pastoral nature of New Zealand and reliance on agriculture meant the pollen count was a significant issue for allergy sufferers.

Professor Crane, from the asthma research group at the Wellington School of Medicine, said many other Western countries could provide regular information on pollen counts and in the United States this information was printed in some newspapers alongside weather forecasts and reports.

The ideal situation in New Zealand would be to have pollen trackers in all major cities, he said.

Pollen counts could be used to give accurate information on pollen seasons and risk times for allergy sufferers.

Spring and summer bring the pollen season, which can mean lengthy periods of misery for allergy sufferers. Allergy New Zealand says pollen is most prevalent on warm, dry, windy days, while rain "washes" the air clean of pollen.

Allergy New Zealand recommends allergy sufferers learn to identify the plants to which they are allergic and stay away from them.

"The highest concentrations of pollen are within 10 metres of the plant and concentrations drop quickly as you move further away," the organisation's website says.

Allergies are caused when the body's immune system overreacts to a normally harmless substance.

The body produces antibodies which trigger the release of histamine, which in turn causes allergy symptoms such as swelling, redness, itchiness and runny noses.

- NZPA