ELM POLLEN ALLERGY
Key Allergens
Elm trees are in the Ulmaceae family of plants.
They were not originally native to the UK and were most likely imported from the United States.
Elm pollen has moderate allergenicity and is found in cooler weather, between January and April depending on your location in the world.
Elm leaves produces sap which can cause contact dermatitis as they contain sesquiterpenes which are skin irritants.
Associated Syndromes
An allergy to elm pollen is strongly associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis (hayfever).
An elm pollen allergy is also linked to asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis.
Cross Reactivity
There are currently no defined allergens for elm pollen, so no known cross reactivity.
Resources
Websites
Allergen Encyclopedia - Elm
Worcester Pollen Forecast
Allergy UK - Managing your asthma and your allergic rhinitis throughout the seasons
Pollen Library - English Elm
Pollen.com - Elm
AAFA - Pollen Allergy in the US
Articles and Journals
Mapping pollen allergenicity from urban trees in Valencia: A tool for green infrastructure planning, 2024
Within city spatiotemporal variation of pollen concentration in the city of Toronto, Canada, 2022
Ambient daily pollen levels in association with asthma exacerbation among children in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2020
Pollen Season Trends (1973-2013) in Stockholm Area, Sweden, 2016
Tree pollen allergens—an update from a molecular perspective, 2015
Correlation between eosinophilic oesophagitis and aeroallergens, 2010
Let me know if you found any of these interesting or useful.
If you spot an article or research that you think is interesting you can message me or tag me on Facebook or Twitter - links at the bottom of the page.