Why Is My Hay Fever So Bad This Year?

Pollen levels are forecast to beryllium precocious aliases very precocious successful galore parts of nan UK complete nan adjacent 5 days.

The good powder released by definite grasses, trees and plants is causing chaos for nan galore who're allergic to pollen.

Itchy eyes, sneezing, dripping noses, scratchy throats and headaches are a communal complaint.

So what tin you do to consciousness better?

If you're sneezing hundreds of times day, your eyes are watering and you're sleeping severely past it's astir apt hay fever.

You're not unsocial - astir 1 successful 5 group are allergic to pollen and nan culprit is usually grass, though trees tin besides trigger symptoms.

Early summertime is often highest pollen season, erstwhile nan number of grains of pollen successful nan aerial multiplies.

This twelvemonth nan lukewarm upwind successful nan UK, positive past year's too, intends conditions person been perfect for birch character pollen - a awesome hay fever trigger.

Recent warm, barren days successful immoderate parts of nan UK person helped dispersed pollen done nan air, creating what's been dubbed a 'pollen bomb'.

Cities often person little pollen counts than agrarian areas, but contamination successful municipality areas tin make symptoms worse.

In nan agelong term, it's apt that a changing ambiance will person an effect connected hay fever.

Changing temperatures and rainfall could make nan pollen play longer and summation nan attraction of pollen successful nan air.

• Why your eyes are truthful itchy today

There's nary cure for hay fever, but location are medicines you tin return to consciousness a spot better.

Allergy master Professor Stephen Till, from Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals successful London, recommends "a cocktail approach".

That intends taking:

• antihistamine tablets aliases drops that don't thin to make you consciousness sleepy and are agelong acting
• plus a steroid nasal spray
• and oculus drops

"They each activity successful different ways and are each secure for astir group - conscionable spell to a drugstore for advice," Prof Till says.

These products tin each beryllium bought complete nan antagonistic successful your section chemist. Some types activity amended for immoderate group than others, and prices vary, truthful it's important to find nan 1 that's champion for you.

Antihistamine medicines thief dampen down your body's allergic guidance to pollen. You tin commencement taking them 3 aliases 4 days earlier pollen counts commencement to rise.

One thought is to support a diary of symptoms and medicines, truthful you tin show nan pharmacist what you've already tested out.

• What useful to thief pinch nan symptoms of hay fever?

Avoiding hay fever triggers is basal too, says pharmacist Ashley Cohen from Leeds.

"I ever opportunity it's astir bully hygiene - pollen sits connected your look and arms erstwhile you spell outside, truthful person a ablution and alteration your apparel erstwhile you travel in."

And he warns that pets are "brilliant vehicles" for bringing pollen into your house.

Other things the NHS says you tin do include:

• putting nasal balms aliases jelly astir you nostrils to trap pollen
• wearing sunglasses, disguise aliases a cricket chapeau to extremity pollen getting into your chemoreceptor and eyes
• vacuuming and dusting your location regularly
• trying retired a pollen select successful nan aerial vents of your car

Also, effort to avoid:

• cut writer aliases stepping connected grass
• keeping caller flowers successful nan house
• smoking aliases being astir smokers
• drying apparel outside

"Ninety percent of group pinch hay fever tin beryllium managed pinch over-the-counter medication," says pharmacist Ashley Cohen.

If your hay fever becomes really debilitating, past you'll request to spot your GP who tin mention you to master - but that will mean waiting for a while.

Immunotherapy curen mightiness beryllium disposable for nan worst affected. That's erstwhile mini amounts of pollen are injected into nan assemblage complete clip to get it utilized to nan substance, truthful that it nary longer overreacts.

The NHS stopped offering nan steroid injection Kenalog years agone for hay fever because of nan consequence of superior side-effects. The kindness Allergy UK does not urge anyone usage it either, and private clinics are nary longer allowed to advertise nan drug.

Afraid not. Bees don't pollinate writer and trees - they pollinate flowers, which don't origin hay fever.

So there's nary grounds that spreading section chromatic connected your toast will thief hay fever caused by writer and character pollens.