Streaming eyes and sneezing in the middle of winter, long before any spring tree has flowered? In southern Europe that is often cypress, which pollinates from January to March. Our test checks IgE to Italian cypress and to Cup a 1, the main protein of Arizona cypress, as part of 300 allergens and allergen components.
Cypresses belong to the Cupressaceae, a conifer family with about 160 species. Around the Mediterranean the Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) is by far the biggest pollen source, and it releases huge amounts in the middle of winter.
The family shares its main allergens. The group 1 allergens, such as Cup a 1 in Arizona cypress, are pectate lyases, and they are 70 to 97% identical across cypress, juniper and Japanese cedar. That is why sensitisation to one member usually shows up against the others.
In Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany, cypress is not a main hay fever pollen. Cypress-family pollen is still in the air in late winter and spring, mostly from garden hedges and ornamental conifers, but in far smaller amounts than in the south.
It matters most if you spend time in southern Europe in winter, or if you have symptoms early in the year that do not fit birch, alder or hazel. Sensitisation is common where exposure is high: depending on the region, 9 to 65% of people seen by allergists around the Mediterranean show IgE to cypress.
Rhinitis is the most common complaint, with sneezing and a runny or blocked nose. Itchy, red, watery eyes are often the most bothersome part. Because it happens in winter, it is easily mistaken for a long cold.
In some regions, notably southern France and Japan, cypress sensitisation is linked to reactions to peach and citrus through a small protein family called gibberellin-regulated proteins. In peach this is Pru p 7, and it has been associated with marked swelling of the face and lips.
Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing or feeling faint after eating is an emergency. Call 112 (EU) or your local emergency number. Do not wait for a test.
From a finger-prick sample, the lab measures IgE to a whole Italian cypress pollen extract and to Cup a 1, a single protein (molecular component) from Arizona cypress, as part of 300 allergens and allergen components. Japanese cedar (Cry j 1), mountain cedar and peach Pru p 7 sit on the same report, so the whole cypress-family picture is in one place.
A positive result means your blood shows IgE to cypress pollen. That is sensitisation, not a diagnosis. Each value gets a class from Negative to Very high, to discuss with a doctor.
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One finger-prick sample checks IgE to 300 allergens and allergen components, from birch and peanut to cat and house dust mite. Post it to the lab, and about 5 days after it arrives you get a value for every one. Our plain-English guide shows you how to read them. €399 in total, €1.33 per allergen.
Around the Mediterranean, cypress pollinates from about January to March. Italian cypress peaks in January and February, Arizona cypress in February and March. Mild winters can bring it forward. It is the earliest major pollen of the year in southern Europe.
Yes. In southern Europe, cypress pollen is in the air from January, so sneezing and itchy eyes in winter are not always a cold. In the north, hazel and alder can start in February in mild years. A test shows whether your blood has IgE to any of them.
In some people, yes. Cypress pollen and peach share a gibberellin-regulated protein, Pru p 7 in peach. This link is best known from southern France and Japan. The panel measures Pru p 7, so your report shows whether that pattern applies to you.
Leyland cypress and other garden conifers belong to the cypress family and release pollen in late winter and spring. They produce much less airborne pollen than Mediterranean cypress forests and avenues, but close contact, for example when trimming in flower, can expose you. Cypress results on the report give the family picture.
