4月もつらい花粉症、症状出る年と出ない年の差はなんなん？西宮の先生に聞いた【Dr.にしつー】

In our previous article, we wrote “If there’s anything you’re curious about regarding hay fever, please ask the doctor. We may use your question in an article!” and we already received a question from a Nishitsu reader!

Here’s our previous article on the latest treatments↓

“Hay Fever Is Just Too Much” We Asked a Doctor at Nishinomiya Watanabe Hospital About the Latest Treatments [Dr. Nishitsu]

2026年2月24日

Thank you so much!!

Here’s the question↓

Question from a reader

“When it comes to hay fever, why do I have symptoms some years and not others?”

You know how sometimes last year was absolutely awful, but this year isn’t so bad… or the opposite, where you think, “Is this year especially bad or what??”

So, following up on our last article, we asked Dr. Kitano from the Department of Otolaryngology at Nishinomiya Watanabe Hospital!

“Hay Fever Is Just Too Much” We Asked a Doctor at Nishinomiya Watanabe Hospital About the Latest Treatments [Dr. Nishitsu]

2026年2月24日

Here it is on the map↓

The address is 10-22 Murokawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo.

1 Q. Why do symptoms appear some years and not others?
2 It’s easier to understand if you think of it as “water in a cup”
3 There are other factors too

Q. Why do symptoms appear some years and not others?

The biggest reason is that “the amount of pollen in the air changes every year.” Cedar pollen in particular varies a lot from year to year.

Wait, the amount of pollen isn’t the same every year?

Not at all. We know that when there are more hours of sunlight in the previous summer, the amount of pollen the following year increases.

So last summer has something to do with it…! I didn’t know it was decided that far in advance

It’s easier to understand if you think of it as “water in a cup”

People with hay fever produce antibodies that react to pollen, called IgE antibodies. But symptoms don’t appear unless the amount of pollen exceeds a certain threshold.

So it’s like water filling up a cup, and once it overflows, the symptoms come pouring out?

That’s exactly the idea! In years with less pollen, the cup doesn’t overflow, so you think, “I was fine this year.” But in years with lots of pollen, it overflows all at once and you end up wondering, “Why is it so bad this year?!”

So it’s not that I’m “cured,” but just that there happened to be less pollen that year…?

That’s right. Even in years with less pollen, your body’s sensitized state remains. When there’s a year with a lot of pollen, symptoms may appear again.

There are other factors too

Are there things besides pollen levels that matter?

Yes. Even in years with the same pollen levels, some people have severe symptoms while others are fine. Factors like these can also play a role.

Things besides pollen levels that can affect symptoms

●Stress
When you’re under a lot of stress, immune reactions can become more excessive. So it’s possible that hay fever feels worse in years when work is especially tough.

●Air pollution and yellow dust
Dirty air or springtime yellow dust can combine with pollen and make symptoms worse.

●Age
As people get older, immune function changes, and some say their symptoms are easier than before. That said, some people develop hay fever for the first time at age 70, so don’t let your guard down.

Stress is related too! Enjoying Nishinomiya through Nishitsu’s articles on new openings might be a good way to relieve stress too!

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Nishinomiya Watanabe Hospital Department of Otolaryngology

What you can receive at the Department of Otolaryngology at Nishinomiya Watanabe Hospital
・Allergy testing (blood tests, exhaled breath tests, etc.)
・Oral medication treatment
・Sublingual immunotherapy
・Injection treatment
・Nasal laser treatment
・Surgical treatment
※All of the treatments above are covered by health insurance.

Department to visit: Otolaryngology outpatient clinic
Advance reservations (AI phone): 050-1808-7183
Weekdays 8:30〜16:30 / Saturdays 8:30〜11:30
※The AI phone accepts calls outside these hours too! You’ll receive a callback on the next business day.
Same-day reservations: 0798-74-2630
※You can visit without a referral letter

You can make a reservation with just one phone call. The hay fever season tends to get busy, so booking early is recommended. Also, you actually can visit without a referral letter, so no worries!

【PR】This article is brought to you by Nishinomiya Watanabe Hospital. The information provided is intended as general medical information and does not guarantee the effectiveness of any specific treatment. Symptoms vary from person to person, and treatment effects also vary.