High street stores have been hit by a shortage of a common allergy drug used in hay fever tablets.
Boots and Lloyds Pharmacy are just some of the shops that had run out of Piriton tablets for adults when The Mirror checked this morning.
Other hay fever tablets are still available, along with Piriton syrups for children.
The issue is down to a shortage of chlorphenamine maleate, which is the active ingredient in Piriton and other hay fever remedies.
The shortage comes as the Met Office issued a high pollen warning for most of England and Wales for the next few days.
The middle of May is typically the worst time of the year for allergy sufferers as this is when pollen from trees and grasses are released at the same time.
A Boots spokesperson told the BBC that it has over 90 hay fever relief products but only four are impacted by the shortage.
Have you noticed a shortage of hay fever tablets? Let us know in the comments below.
They added: "There are a very small number of lines that are currently out of stock due to a current, industry-wide shortage of the active ingredient.
"However, we are expecting this to be resolved soon and new deliveries are expected in the coming weeks."
The Mirror has contacted Lloyds Pharmacy for comment.
Sarah Kent, a meteorologist at the Met Office, told The Telegraph: “Pollen levels will be high across much of the UK on Monday and Tuesday. At the moment it’s predominantly tree pollen, [but] grass season is just starting.
“You may start noticing symptoms more if you're sensitive to grass pollen.”
The NHS says hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, typically when it comes into contact with your mouth, nose, eyes and throat. Pollen is a fine powder from plants.
Symptoms of hay fever include sneezing and coughing, a runny or blocked nose, itchy, red or watery eyes, itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears, loss of smell, pain around your temples and forehead, headache, earache and feeling tired.
Allergy UK hay fever tips
- Check pollen counts and avoid going outdoors when these are high.
- Shower when you get indoors and change clothes to remove the allergens.
- Avoid drying clothes on an outdoor washing line when pollen counts are high.
- Apply a nasal barrier to prevent pollen entering the nose.
- Keep windows closed when indoors – particularly early mornings and evenings when high amounts of pollen is in the air.
- Wipe pets’ coats with a damp microfibre cloth to remove pollens that collect on their fur when they have been out.
