Hay fever & asthma: 19 tips for cyclists with allergies

This article was first published on 30 June 2017 and revised on 11 April 2025.

Anyone who suffers from hay fever, i.e. a pollen allergy, also has an increased risk of asthma. The Greek physician Hippocrates already used the term asthma to describe shortness of breath or difficult breathing (literally oppression). Bronchial asthma is a disease of the airways in which the mucous membranes of the airway walls, especially the bronchial tubes, are chronically inflamed and therefore particularly sensitive and hyper-reactive. Certain stimuli can cause them to constrict, cramp or become mucous.

Typical signs of asthma

• Whistling breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Shortness of breath
  Tightness in the chest
• Cough

The symptoms typically occur in fits and then subside again. Attacks are particularly frequent at night and in the early morning. Sufficient treatment is important, otherwise the lung function will gradually deteriorate.

Different forms of asthma

• Allergic Most common form in children and adolescents, usually triggered by pollen, house dust mites, animal hair and dander, bed feathers or mould spores.
• Exercise-induced (exercise-induced asthma) occurs during and a few minutes after physical exertion.
• Infection-related following an upper respiratory tract infection.
• Analgesic-related after taking certain medications, mainly acetylsalicylic acid ("aspirin") and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
• Occupational allergising substances in the workplace, for example flour dust.

The asthma forms often occur as a mixed form. The more irritating factors come together, the more likely a new attack is to occur. A general physical examination and a lung function test are carried out for diagnosis, as well as allergy tests if necessary.

Treatment consists, among other things, of drug therapy with the aim of eliminating the chronic inflammation (usually with glucocorticoids, also known as cortisone) and the narrowing of the airways (using beta-2 sympathomimetics) in the form of sprays (metered-dose aerosols).

Supportive measures include patient training, physical training, weight loss, smoking cessation, respiratory physiotherapy and breathing techniques. Cycling is definitely possible and recommended, but you should always increase the load slowly and not overtax yourself.

19 tips for allergy sufferers

1. Move longer training sessions to allergy-friendly days, for example after a rain shower. Then also air the flat extensively - instead of on dry, windy days.
2. With Thunderstorm forecast It is better to stay at home and close the windows; after heavy thunderstorms, the number of asthma emergencies increases - even in people who otherwise only suffer from hay fever. The most common explanation: pollen grains soak up water in high layers of air and burst. Back near the ground, these fragments penetrate particularly deeply into the airways and can trigger breathing difficulties.
3. Search for routes that As few meadows and fields as possible lead past.
4. Avoid routes with high levels of exhaust fumes. Air pollutants make pollen more aggressive today than in the past, releasing up to three times more allergens.
5. Pollen count is not equally strong on every day; it is worth taking a look at the pollen count calendar or a pollen app for your smartphone -> www.pollenflug.de, www.pollenstiftung.de or overview map of Germany at the German Weather Service www.dwd.de
6. One Tight-fitting cycling goggles helps to keep pollen away from the eyes, even though it can still irritate the eyes via nerve tracts in the nose.
7. After the exit Shower and wash hairclean your helmet and goggles.
8. Cycling gear Do not leave in the bedroom, wash immediately.
9. If possible Do not eat anything that contains related allergenssuch as rye or wheat bread.
10. Daily the Nose with saline solution rinse ("nasal douche").
11. Some prefer herbal or homeopathic preparations like loofah, but the effect has not been proven by conventional medicine or evidence.
12. Pay attention to a healthy intestinal flora. Only recently has its importance for a balanced immune system been increasingly recognised: if it is in balance, it is less likely to attack harmless substances.
13. With the Do not overdo hygiene. There is growing evidence that a germ-free environment trains the immune system less.
14. In the worst allergy season, a stay (or training camp) is a good idea. by the sea or in high mountain locations (from 1,500 metres) because the pollen count is lowest there.
15. The load is also very low in Indoor swimming pools. Why not go for a swim indoors on your rest day, for example?
16. For Relaxation and avoid overloading, even during training. Mental or physical stress also promotes allergic reactions.
17. Keep windows closed during the day and only ventilate early in the morning or late in the evening. In cities, the pollen count is lowest between 6 and 8 a.m., in the countryside between 7 and midnight, or generally after rain.
18. Vacuuming and cleaning clean your home often, using a damp cloth instead of a duster, and a hoover with a Hepa filter.
19. Possibly Pollen screen on the window, especially in the bedroom (although this only absorbs part of the load).

Pollen count calendar of the most aggressive allergy plants

Technical terms relating to asthma and allergies

Antihistamines

Active substances that weaken or neutralise the effect of histamine by blocking its receptors or reducing its activity. (Depending on the receptor type, there are H1 or H2 antihistamines, and there are also different generations of active substances).

Floor change

In around 40 per cent of hay fever patients who do not receive adequate treatment, the allergic disease moves further downwards towards the lungs and bronchial tubes, which become asthmatically constricted.

Histamine

Tissue hormone produced and stored by mast cells or contained in food. Among other things, it triggers inflammation or causes the bronchial tubes to contract during an asthma attack.

IGE

Immunoglobulin E. Proteins or antibodies that are designed to ward off foreign substances and parasites (e.g. worms). IgEs play an important role in the development of allergies. Other immunoglobulins are A, D, M and G.

Cross allergy

People who are allergic to pollen may also have problems with certain foods due to a cross-allergy or cross-reaction, as the antibodies combat similar allergens from other, related sources.

PrickTest

For the prick test, a small drop of an allergen solution is dripped onto the skin, usually on the inside of the forearm. The skin under the drop is then pricked superficially. If the body reacts allergically to one or more of the tested substances, redness, itching and wheal formation occur. The test reaction is read after 15 to 20 minutes.

Rhinitis

Acute or chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa = rhinitis.

SIT, specific immunotherapy

Also known as hyposensitisation (formerly desensitisation) or allergy vaccination. Slow immunisation against one or more allergens in order to avoid an allergic reaction in the future. Repeated confrontation gradually weakens the allergic reaction. The prerequisite is a precise diagnosis of the triggering allergens, which are administered by injection under the skin or tongue. The treatment starts with a very low dose, which is increased at weekly and later monthly intervals up to a maximum dose.