More and more people are affected by a pollen allergy. Overview of apps to fight against this allergy that ruins our lives.
If for you spring is synonymous with a runny nose, sore throat, irritated eyes… you are surely part of the 30% of the world population allergic to pollens. And this figure is constantly increasing: soon, according to the WHO, half of the population will be affected. Beyond medical care, some apps can make your life easier by helping you locate areas to avoid.
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Real-time pollen sensors
In 2018, the start-up Lify-Air decided to create innovative sensors. They make it possible to identify the pollen in real time. The information collected is directly transmitted to their application, Live Pollen, and this allows you to adapt your movements according to the pollen detected in a particular area. Jérôme Richard, founder of the start-up, explains: “Being myself allergic to pollen for a long time, I was sick long before being warned of the presence of pollen near my home…We wanted to change that.»
However, the application encounters a major problem: the lack of sensors. France currently has only 70 sensors throughout its territory, whereas, as Jérôme Richard recalls, “there should be at least 5 in each department.The difficulty lies in convincing local authorities to install these sensors. For example, no sensor has been installed in inner Paris.
Despite these difficulties, Lify-Air already has 5,200 users. “There must now be a general awareness about this allergy which is ruining our lives.” he concludes.
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Applications with various functions
Geolocation is the main tool used today by these applications. For example, it allows the Pollen Alerts application to give you a score out of ten each day, indicating the level of pollen in the air. This note is accompanied by a commentary on the level of risk associated with a particular type of pollen. Finally, it is possible to configure a daily notification which is displayed if a particular type of pollen is present in the air around you, so that you do not forget to take your treatment.
For its part, the Weather Channel* offers, on its various media – application and site – pollen forecasts up to D+2 for France. These data can be consulted with the weather forecast for your city, and detail the different types of pollen (alder, birch, grasses, etc.). This makes life easier for people with allergies.
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With Pollen, another app, users can create their own “pollen diary“. This allows you to record your feelings every day and to have access to a personalized calculation of the risks of allergies.
* The Weather Channel is a property of the Figaro group.
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