ISLAMABAD, Sept 13: The pollen count of paper mulberry and grass is high in the capital these days posing threat to allergy patients.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) deputy director, Jan Mohammad, told this agency that there were about 122 airborne pollens per cubic metre of air on Saturday, including mulberry with 45 and grasses with 30 pollens per cubic metre. However, the pollens of Acacia, Eucalyptus and Cannabis were low in the air.

People highly allergic to pollens can have mild allergic symptoms like sneezing, coughing, running nose, itchy and watery eyes, headache and rashes on the skin. However, those with low or moderate sensitivity may not suffer allergy problems, he added.

The official said the pollen cell at the PMD headquarters was issuing pollen count of various plants and trees to facilitate the allergy patients.

He said pollen count was relatively high in the air during 7am to 11am and then from 4pm to midnight.

Pollens are tiny male cells of flowering plants, which perform reproductive responsibilities but some pollens behave as allergens causing asthma, hay fever and itching of nose.—APP