THE UK is due its second big pollen bomb of the year, hot on the heals of the one that hit over the Easter bank holiday.
Pollen counts are set to reach even higher levels from Sunday this week, with the Met office issuing a ‘very high’ alert for parts of the country.
The Met has predicted a ‘very high’ pollen count starting tomorrow
They’ll surge up further on Monday April 17 and remain the same for Tuesday, according to the Met’s forecast.
While the sudden explosion of pollen levels is set to bring misery to many hay fever sufferers, it could prove deadly to some Brits in particular, a charity has warned.
Naomi Watt, Respiratory Nurse at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “High pollen levels can be extremely hazardous for people with lung conditions, especially for people living with asthma.”
“It can trigger deadly asthma attacks, leaving someone fighting for breath.”
“If pollen is causing your lung condition to get worse, it’s important you get help so you can get on top of symptoms before they get more serious,” Naomi urged.
If you suffer from a lung condition such as asthma, there are a few steps you can take ahead of the pollen peaking this Sunday.
Making sure you’re taking any preventer or maintenance treatment every day, as prescribed, Naomi advised.
“This means keeping your reliever or rescue inhaler, usually blue, with you at all times, and taking your preventer inhaler, every day as prescribed,” she continued.
You can also treat hay fever symptoms with antihistamine pills and a steroid nasal spray, which can help prevent an allergic reaction to pollen.
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, typically when it comes into contact with your mouth, nose, eyes and throat.
The 7 ways to ease hay fever
Here are some ways you can ease hay fever symptoms:
Shower and change clothes after being outdoors: Pollen gets everywhere, sticking to clothes and affecting you long after you’ve retreated inside.
Apply petroleum gel just under the nose: Dabbing a little petroleum gel, such as Vaseline, around the nostrils before you head out can act as a barrier to prevent pollen particles from entering your nose.
Wear wraparound sunglasses: This is a suitably stylish way of keeping pesky pollen powder out of your eyes.
Keep it clean: Regularly wash your hands when out and about to remove pollen and avoid rubbing it further into your eyes or nose.
Dry your laundry inside: If you suffer from hay fever, it’s better to dry your laundry inside so that it won’t catch any pollen outside.
Keep pets clean: Animal fur can easily collect pollen when outdoors.
Create an on-the-go first aid kit: There are plenty of products you can pick up at the chemist to keep your symptoms in check, each with different abilities
For further tips on preventing hay fever, see the NHS website.
Pollen is a fine powder from plants which usually travels in the air when it’s warm and windy: usually between late March and September.
You can check the pollen forecast for your area here.
Though the Met forecast a ‘high’ pollen count for Wales, the South West, the North West and the West Midlands for Saturday, by Sunday it’ll have crept up to ‘very high’ in most of England.
A ‘very high’ alert was issued for England and Wales for Monday and Tuesday, with pollen levels creeping up to ‘high’ in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland.
“It looks likely to be the worst time of the year so far,” airborne allergens expert and creator of HayMax allergen barrier balms, Max Wiseberg, said.
What is pollen count and when are the peak seasons?
The Met Office updates Brits with pollen levels each day.
At the moment pollen levels are very high across the the country.
Pollen is a fine powder released by plants as part of their pollination cycle.
The spores then travel in the air as part of a plant’s reproduction and fertilisation cycle.
But it contains a protein that can cause the nose, eyes, throat and sinuses to become swollen and irritated if a person is allergic to it.
This gets more intense if the pollen count is high, meaning lots of plants have released pollen all at once.
The pollen count is calculated by measuring the number of pollen grains in a cubic metre of air, using a pollen trap.
Pollen counts tend to be higher in early morning and late evening, although they can sometimes be high all day long.
The threshold for ‘high’ pollen count depends on the type of pollen, but usually hay fever symptoms begin when the pollen count is 50 grains per cubic metre of air.
For grass pollen, a count between 50 to 150 pollen grains per cubic metre is considered high, and for birch trees a count between 81 and 200 is high.
“At this time of year, the pollen in the air is from trees,” Max explained.
“We are very much in the peak season, which will last into May, depending on which pollen you’re allergic to. In April it tends to be elm, willow, birch, ash, plane and oak. In May birch, plane and oak are the main culprits.”
“There is currently no cure for hay fever, but there are many products on the market, both natural and conventional, which seek to reduce the effects of pollen or limit the symptoms,” he continued.
“And there are practical things you can do when outdoors and around the home to limit the amount of pollen getting in your body – less pollen, less reaction!”
But he advised: “Never take two antihistamines together, never take two steroid nasal sprays together, and consult your pharmacist or doctor if you are already taking any other medication.”
Pharmacist Rizwan Ali from Rowlands Pharmacy told The Sun his top three tips to deal with nasty hay fever symptoms.
Hay fever might not always manifest in the ways you think: according to the NHS, that nagging earache might indicate your body is having a bad reaction to pollen.