Visiting Japan / Tree Pollen

[B2B1]

Hi everyone, my daughter is doing a year abroad in Japan for her university course and I am contemplating making the trip of a lifetime next year with my husband to go there, maybe early March or in May, to see her and see a bit of the country.

I had very bad asthma as a child (58 now!) but have been well controlled for many years on preventative inhaler with very occasional use of ventolin. I’m aware some things can still trigger my asthma though and my mum always said tree pollen was a trigger for me. I can remember my asthma flaring up very badly around age 15 when we visited a relative for a holiday and were living close to Richmond Park in London.

These days I do find I get a lot of irritation in my nose in early Spring but it doesn’t set my asthma off.

I’m feeling a bit concerned about the tree pollen in Japan and just wondered if anyone with asthma or allergies has ever been there, and how they found it? Although I would love to see the cherry blossom there I would avoid the peak season for that but I’m reading online that tree pollen season goes on beyond that time. I’m planning to ask the asthma nurse at my GP surgery if she has any advice on this too.

Thanks for reading and if anyone has any experiences I would love to hear them.

[peege]

Hi, wow, it does sound like the trip of a lifetime. I had Japan & Australia on my list of life achievements (after my sad divorce in 1994). Stopped off for a week in Tokyo on my way back from Oz in March '94 staying with a friend & her family in a typical Japanese house with a garden which the mum treasured & was so proud of. My asthma was so mild at the time I didn't use inhalers, no issues at all health-wise. It was wonderful.

You're very wise to plan for your keeping healthy on your trip because you're bound to come across pollen youve never met before.

Japan is so modern and health care is excellent (we have a Japanese/ English member over on AsthmalungUK forum). Make sure you have a good health insurance (pricey but so very worth it), plenty of antihistamines and seek medical advice fir your trip.

When I was a young mum extremely healthy and fit, living on an orange grove in Libya I had a bad reaction resulting in a mad dash to a state clinic a few miles down the road. I know it was January 1976 because my baby born 29th Dec was only 3 weeks old. I'd woken to feed her, couldn't move or speak so couldn't poke my husband awake only let out a deep groan, he carried me to back seat of car then baby to thus grotty clinic, he dashed in, got a doc to the car, she laughed and said "allergy " , she brought an injection to the car and in seconds I was completely okay. Over the following 3 years in that lovely old house we worked out it could only be date palm blossom.

To this day I've no idea what that injection was but I'm glad for the experience, I'd never have known if we hadn't lived with a date palm outside the bedroom window back then. Nowadays reaction to tree pollens is mild & hayfever like.

[B2B1 in reply to peege]

Hello, thanks so much for your reply and for the advice. That’s a great idea about making sure we have good travel insurance so if we decide to go I’ll definitely keep that on mind.

That sounded like a scary experience for you in Libya and I’m so glad your husband got you to a doctor quickly who knew exactly what was going on and gave you an injection.

Like you, I don’t seem to react as badly to tree pollen as I did when I was young, it’s the ones I’ll never have come across in Japan before I which are making me nervous. Will see what the asthma nurse recommends.

All the best and thanks again for sharing your experience.

[Poobah]

I came across an article regarding the record breaking pollen season in Japan this year and thought you'd find it interesting. Sounds like antihistamines, nasal sprays and masks are necessary items for the spring months in Japan.

I always travel with masks now, along with a steroid nasal spray, antihistamines, antibiotics and Prednisolone - just in case. I rarely have to take antihistamines though, probably because Montelukast works so well for me. Definitely discuss what meds your asthma nurse is happy for you to take with you in order to treat any potential allergy and/or asthma flare up.

theguardian.com/world/2023/...

[B2B1 in reply to Poobah]

Hello, thanks for your reply. I had seen that Guardian article and it did make me nervous, also I saw another article online saying the pollen next year is predicted to be even worse because of the high temperatures this summer - typical!

I would agree that wearing a mask and the antihistamines should help and I’ll do some more research and see if I can find out when would appear to be the lowest pollen season as well, although from what I’ve seen it seems to vary depending on the region of Japan.

Hopefully the asthma nurse will also give me some good input.

Thanks again for your thoughts, much appreciated!

[Patk1]

Caspiana lives in Japan.Do u take antihistamines- may be worth having thm with u along with rescue meds x

[B2B1 in reply to Patk1]

Hi there, yes I take loratadine when I feel the allergy symptoms starting, although sometimes I feel it doesn’t do much. I can’t use nasal sprays because they irritate the inside of my nose and can make it bleed, which then freaks me out as well!

I wouldn’t mind so much if the pollen there just causes hay fever symptoms, the worry is more whether it might set off an asthma flare up, but hopefully the asthma nurse will have some recommendations and maybe a back up medication just in case.

Thanks again for replying.

[Acapulco1]

I’ve been to Japan with no issues with my allergies. I typically find my allergies are not as sensitive when I travel verses the native pollen where I live.

[B2B1 in reply to Acapulco1]

Hello, thanks for replying. That’s really good to hear. Hopefully I’ll have the same experience!

Thanks again

[Caspiana]

Hello there. Japanese here. 🇯🇵 Unfortunately, pollen dispersion is expected to be greater than normal in east Japan in spring 2024, while the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido will have about four times more pollen than in this past spring. I have lung disease and bad allergies. Spring is an absolute nightmare although the cherry blossoms ate beautiful. It is still chilly in March / April. We wear masks in order not to breathe in too much pollen. Starting allergy medication well before you come might help. 😷

Summer is too hot with extremely high humidity. It is very hard to breathe. The best time to visit is autumn. The air is dry and the sun warm. I don't know where you daughter is but we have almost the same weather throughout the country in spring and summer. Although it is a tad cooler in Hokkaido by September.

If you do come, I advise you to buy travel insurance and a letter from your doctor describing your medical history in case you need medical services. Whilst major hospitals often have English speaking doctors they are not always there on demand.

If I can be of any assistance please let me know.

Best wishes.

Cas 🙋‍♀️