Itchy, red eyes, runny nose, and respiratory problems. These are the symptoms that many people experience when the sirocco wind sweeps through Sicily: the Sahara sand carried by the wind makes the air dusty, but the reported discomforts would be caused by the combination of the phenomenon with seasonal allergies.
This is according to Giuseppe Failla, the director of the Complex Pulmonology Unit of Civico in Palermo, who explains: “There is a lot of suggestion, but the strong sirocco wind bringing the desert dust to Sicily increases the pollen load and causes, in predisposed individuals, the classic seasonal symptoms.”
“This time – the doctor adds – their manifestation has been anticipated, because usually this condition occurs in late spring, so at the end of May. In the current atmospheric situation, the wind that sweeps the dust also collects the pollen from our territory, so allergic symptoms have arrived earlier, but nothing particularly worrying. Those who suffer from allergies, including the elderly, can refer to the medications they usually use, and be aware that the symptoms, this year, have simply arrived earlier.”
But is it really necessary to take out the masks used during the Covid pandemic? “The mask protects the airways, not the eyes – Failla explains – but in this situation, those experiencing severe symptoms can certainly protect themselves more by wearing it.”
Polvere nell’aria a Palermo e problemi respiratori: «Lo scirocco ha anticipato i sintomi delle allergie stagionali»
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