MAPLE TREE POLLEN ALLERGY
Key Allergens
Maple trees are in the
Sapindaceae family of plants. Other plants in this family include sycamore trees, horse chestnuts and lychee. The only maple found in the UK is the Field Maple,
Acer campestre.
The sap of these trees can elicit a contact allergic reaction.
Maple syrup can be collected from the sap of certain maple trees.
Maples are pollinated by insects, the pollen is moderately allergenic, pollen season peaks in April.
Associated Syndromes
An allergy to maple tree pollen is strongly associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis (hayfever).
A maple tree pollen allergy is also linked to asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis.
Cross Reactivity
Other plants in the
Sapindaceae family of plants include sycamore trees, horse chestnuts and lychee. If you are allergic to the pollen of these plants, you may also want to avoid maple trees.
Resources
Websites
Worcester Pollen Forecast
Allergy UK - Managing your asthma and your allergic rhinitis throughout the seasons
Allergen Encyclopedia - Maple / Box-Elder
Science Direct - Acer campestre
AAFA - Pollen Allergy in the US
Pollen Library - Acer
Woodland Trust - Field Maple
Articles and Journals
Mapping pollen allergenicity from urban trees in Valencia: A tool for green infrastructure planning, 2024
Pollen Sensitization Among Egyptian Patients With Respiratory Allergic Diseases, 2022
Within city spatiotemporal variation of pollen concentration in the city of Toronto, Canada, 2022
Synoptic and local meteorology influence on pollen concentration in a mountain valley in Central Italy: hints for localization of main sources, 2022
Ambient daily pollen levels in association with asthma exacerbation among children in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2020
Assessment of allergenic potential in urban green areas: a case study of the Ribnjak park in Zagreb, 2019
Comparative evaluation of phenolics content and antioxidant activity of leaves and branches of field maple, (Acer campestre) from two populations in Norteastern Algeria, 2019
Correspondence between tree pollen emissions sources and pollen content of the ambient air, 2018
Levels and determinants of tree pollen in New York City, 2018
Climate change and pollen allergy: cities and municipalities should take people suffering from pollen allergy into account when planting in public spaces, 2012
Allergenic trees and their effects in the spa forest park Dudince, 2012
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