Airthings, a global leader in indoor air quality solutions for consumers, businesses, and professionals, has introduced a new feature for its mobile app: My Pollen Levels. The new feature allows users to track live pollen levels in the surroundings or any location, and optimise the indoor air quality based on these insights. With allergy season already underway, knowing when to ventilate, purify the air, or keep windows closed is essential to reduce allergy triggers and symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, scratchy throat, or even asthma. The feature is available via the Airthings app to all users of Airthings’ smart products, including View Plus and the Wave family.
Pollen is one of the most common triggers of seasonal allergies. When people with a pollen allergy, also known as hay fever, breathe in pollen grains, it causes sneezing, congestion, and a runny nose, or can even trigger asthma attacks. Hay fever, which often starts in childhood, affects one in four people in the UK (13 million) and approximately nine out of ten hay fever sufferers are allergic to grass pollen. The results of a survey* with a sample size of 2,245 respondents found that individuals aged 45-54 were most likely to be affected by hay fever allergies, with 25% of this age group claiming to have the condition. 24% of people aged 35-44 were sufferers while 25-34-year-olds saw 23% of their number complaining of reactions to pollen. Those who suffered the least appeared to be the youngest and eldest age groups surveyed, with just 19% of 16-24-year-olds saying they have a hay fever allergy, and 22% of 55-64-year-olds claiming the same.
These hay fever statistics suggest that UK residents are more likely to complain of hay fever than of almost any other ongoing condition, including asthma, diabetes, high cholesterol, migraines, physical disabilities, skin conditions and sleeping problems.
“By providing people with real-time pollen data in any location as well as regional trends with a map overview, we can help them manage their exposure and significantly improve their health,” says Oyvind Birkenes, CEO of Airthings. “We’re excited to offer this feature to all customers of Airthings’ smart products and to empower them to breathe better.”
Allergy control starts at home
Understanding and controlling indoor air quality helps reduce allergy triggers and minimise their effects. But while ventilation is an important strategy to improve the air quality in the home, knowing when to ventilate or when to keep windows closed based on local pollen levels can be essential to keeping allergies at bay.
“Good indoor air is important for our health, wellbeing and performance, especially now that we’re all spending more time indoors,” said Kai Gustavsen, Chief Adviser of the Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association (NAAF). “Air quality sensors give you insight into your air quality and help you understand how small changes impact your health. Having current pollen data is a great addition to ensure the air in your home is as healthy as can be.”
Hyper-local, live data
The new feature is powered by BreezoMeter, a provider of environmental intelligence. BreezoMeter uses innovative pollen models and big data analysis to provide a continuous pollen index, based on the daily pollen forecast. By integrating numerous pollen data sources and models, BreezoMeter provides hyper-local data, empowering users with the most relevant pollen information to them.
“In the same way our global weather trends are becoming more unpredictable as a result of climate change, so too are pollen season start and end dates. To ensure that allergy sufferers aren’t caught off guard, we utilise multi-data sources and sophisticated AI,” says BreezoMeter’s Chief Scientist Dr. Gabriela Adler. “By integrating BreezoMeter’s data into their mobile app, Airthings enables users with actionable pollen information that can be used for better indoor air decision-making and better control of allergy symptoms.”
My Pollen Levels is Airthing’s first step in providing users with pollen information right in the Airthings’ app, more features will be added gradually. My Pollen Levels is available to new and existing users of Airthings’ smart air quality products via the Airthings app starting today. For more information visit
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