Hay fever season has officially begun.
The Met Office issued its first pollen count for this season on Thursday, giving a high pollen warning in London and South East England.
Some parts of the UK have been issued a “very high” pollen warning, including the North West of England, West Midlands and Wales.
What is hay fever and how can you treat it?
What is hay fever?
Allergies are very common. The first wave of allergies emerged around 50 years ago, with a huge surge in asthma and hay fever.
One in four people in the UK has hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis) which equates to about 16 million people. People with hay fever are four times more likely to suffer from other conditions driven by allergies, such as asthma, eczema and food allergy.
The number of people diagnosed with allergic rhinitis, asthma and eczema has also trebled over 30 years.
Hay fever tends to be worse in March and September, especially when it’s warm, humid and windy — this is because the pollen count is at its highest.
Who can get hay fever?
We know that hay fever is becoming increasingly more common, but did you know that babies and dogs can also get hay fever?
Children can be affected by pollen and dust in a similar way to adults. While babies and infants may have similar symptoms to many viral infections like the common cold and conditions like asthma — watch out for frequent sneezing, blocked or runny noses, itchy ears, throat, and/or mouth, red, swollen or watery eyes, and headaches.
Hay fever in dogs also looks different from the symptoms that adults or humans experience. But it’s important to watch out for the below symptoms that arise in spring and/or summer:
Itching, nibbling or rubbing their:
What are the general symptoms of hay fever?
Symptoms of hay fever include:
If you have asthma, you might also:
How can you treat hay fever?
Though there is no official cure for hay fever, there are steps you can take to reduce the symptoms. Head to your local GP and they may prescribe you a steroid treatment, such as a steroid nasal spray.
They may also give you small amounts of pollen as an injection or tablet to slowly build up your immunity to pollen. The treatment usually starts in the winter about 3 months before the hay fever season begins.
To take matters into your own hands, adding bee pollen to your breakfast, yogurt or smoothie may help ease symptoms or upping your honey intake a few months before peak hay fever season.
