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Britons that NEVER had hay fever are falling victim due to the heatwave
And one forecast says it could last until the middle of next month.
Inquiries about hay fever – or allergic rhinitis – to the NHS website are up by 43 per cent this June compared with the same period last year.
Allergy UK said it has seen a big spike in email inquiries or calls to its helpline because the hot spell has coincided with the peak of the grass pollen season.
Grass pollen affects about 80 per cent of the UK’s 12 million hay fever sufferers.
Allergy UK Nurse Adviser Holly Shaw said: “This year we are getting more reports of people suffering from hay fever for the first time in years, or even for the first time ever.
“While it is more common for hay fever to develop in childhood, it is not uncommon for people to develop it as adults.”
The Met Office, which works with the University of Worcester’s National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit to predict pollen counts, said only northern Scotland was escaping the highest levels.
The current forecast says: “The grass pollen risk will be very high during warm, dry weather. Spore and weed levels will be elevated too.”
A Met Office spokesman said: “We are at the peak of the grass season and pollen levels are particularly high because we have not had any rain. Rain washes pollen out of the air column.
“But when you have high pressure, as we do at the moment, the pollen builds up in the lower layers of the atmosphere so there’s a cumulative effect.
“We have had warm, dry weather for a good number of weeks. If we had one or two big fronts of rain pushing across the UK it would make a dramatic difference.
“But apart from a few possible showers in the South on Sunday, we do not expect significant rain before the middle of next week so there is no significant relief in sight.”
The National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit forecast for this week says: “Very high grass pollen will continue this week during warm, sunny weather across the country.
“The season is expected to last into the first week of July in southern and central regions and into mid or late July in the far North of England and Scotland.”
At the same time there are also high levels of fungal spores and weed pollen, particularly nettle pollen, which can all cause hay fever.
The only good news is that tree pollen is now only at moderate levels, mainly because its peak was in late winter and spring.
Hay fever can feel like flu, causing sneezing and coughing, a runny or blocked nose, itchy, red or watery eyes, itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears, loss of smell, headaches and earaches, and make sufferers feel very tired.
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Avoid parks or fields, particularly in the early evening when there’s a lot of pollen floating at nose level
The NHS said that hay fever can also make asthma sufferers short of breath, wheeze and cough and give them a tight feeling in their chest.
Its website says: “There’s currently no cure for hay fever and you can’t prevent it.
“But you can do things to ease your symptoms when the pollen count is high.”
Tips include putting Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen, wearing wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes, vacuuming regularly and dusting with a damp cloth.
The NHS also recommends seeing a pharmacist, who can provide antihistamine drops, tablets and nasal sprays.
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Analysis by Holly Shaw
Hay fever is particularly bad at the moment thanks to the long period of hot, dry weather coinciding with the peak of the grass pollen season.
Allergic rhinitis affects one in five people – 12 million in the UK – and grass pollen affects about 80 per cent of them.
Hay fever cases have trebled in the past 20 years and this year there has been a spike in calls to our helpline.
For most people hay fever means uncomfortable symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and watery, itchy eyes, and it can significantly affect quality of life and school performance.
But the greatest concern is for people with both hay fever and asthma.
If hay fever symptoms are not well managed, they can cause significant breathing problems and exacerbate asthma.
Hay fever is caused when the body makes antibodies in response to substances, such as pollen particles, that are breathed in.
In people sensitive to these allergens, this causes the release of chemicals from cells in nasal passages, the eyes or airways.
If you think you have hay fever, the important thing is to visit a GP or a pharmacist and confirm that your symptoms are hay fever rather than, say, a cold.
Then you can get appropriate medicine.
If you have been outside, it is worth getting changed and having a shower because pollen is very sticky and can be on your hair and clothes.
You can also transfer it to your pillows.
Bear in mind that during the day pollen rises in the atmosphere but drops down overnight in a “pollen shower” – so the high spots are in the evening, overnight and first thing.
So it is better to shut your windows at night to keep out the pollen.
Call our helpline on 01322 619 898 during office hours, or email info@allergyuk.org.
• Holly Shaw is a nurse adviser Allergy UK
