The olive tree is an evergreen tree that is cultivated in all central and southern regions and in climatically favourable northern regions.
Its flowering period is generally short (about 45 days) and takes place between the end of April and the end of June, when pollen concentrations in the air are very high.
«Allergies can cause asthma and affect life quality»
This pollinosis is typical of South Italy, the Islands and Liguria, where this plant is intensively cultivated. Since the flowering period is very short but intense, the possibility of asthmatic crises is frequent due to the high pollen peaks.
Typical symptoms of this allergen are rhinitis, conjunctivitis and asthma. Monosensitive patients are not frequent.
Olive tree pollen often shows cross-reactivity with other species of the same family such as ash tree and privet.
Cross-reactivity with grasses is not uncommon, while there is no cross-reactivity with foods.
This allergen typically shows considerable variations in the amount of pollen, thus there are more critical years for patients and other years with no symptoms.
