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Do You Have 'autumn Sneezing Syndrome, The New Covid XEC Strain Or The 100-day-cough? All The Symptoms You Must Know
IT'S that time of year again when everyone seems to be coughing, sneezing and blowing into tissues.
Before the pandemic, this was never much of an issue - but now, so much as a splutter can lead to raised eyebrows on the train and looks of concern from people in the office.
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Is your runny nose caused by hay fever, Covid or whooping cough? Here's how to find outCredit: GettyIs it the new Covid variant? A dose of the 100-day-cough? Or is it a side effect of the changing seasons?
'Autumn sneezing syndrome', as it's otherwise called, can leave sufferers with sneezing fits and runny noses, which can be easily mistaken for winter bugs.
"Autumn sneezing syndrome can be triggered by outdoor and indoor allergens," Dr Adrian Morris, principal allergist at Surrey Allergy Clinic, tells the Sun.
"Most people don't associate autumn with pollen, so they might not realise their symptoms this time of year could actually be hay fever."
Hay fever - also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis - is an allergic reaction to pollen and other airborne allergens such as fungal spores.
Autumnal hay fever isn't triggered by tree or grass pollen, which peaks in spring and summer, but by pollen from an invasive plant called ragweed.
Most people who are allergic to other types of pollen also have a sensitivity to ragweed, which has only recently become established in the UK after travelling from the US.
The weed sheds pollen well into October, later than most plants.
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Are you tired? The 7 pillars of rest you need to re-energise & feel awakeMould spores often become a concern in autumn, typically found in decomposing leaves and blown into the air.
The colder weather sends lots of us indoors, which puts many of us at risk of indoor allergens, like dust, Dr Adrian said.
GP-approved hay fever tips that really will stifle the sneezes"When we go inside we close our doors and windows, trapping us inside with pets and dust mites, then when we head outside we're immediately exposed to mould and ragweed," he explained.
"It's a very bad time of year for some people," he added.
How to spot and deal with autumn sneezing syndromeAllergies, Covid and whooping cough can cause a combination of coughing, sneezing and a runny nose.
But allergies tend to cause itchiness around your eyes and in the throat, while Covid and whooping cough may cause a sore throat, but not itchiness.
You may also notice that your eyes are particularly watery with allergies.
And while Covid typically lasts about two weeks, hay fever, similar to whooping cough, can persist for weeks or even months, depending on the pollen count.
The higher the pollen count, the worse the symptoms will be.
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Autumn hay fever is triggered by pollen from an invasive plant called ragweedCredit: Refer to Source - Alamy
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If you have asthma, your symptoms may also get worse when you have hay fever.
There is currently no cure for hay fever, but most people can relieve symptoms with treatment, according to the NHS.
This can include antihistamines, staying hydrated, and using saline nasal sprays.
You can also try applying cold compresses to reduce swelling and minimise exposure to allergens.
Make sure you shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off.
Indoors, vacuum regularly, dust with a damp cloth, and keep windows and doors closed as much as possible.
Covid?While Covid isn't as prominent as it was this time a few years ago, a new potentially more contagious variant has led to a rise in cases over the past few weeks.
Millions have already had the bug and the majority of Brits also have protection due to the huge vaccine rollout.
Scientists have sounded the alarm over a new, more contagious Covid variant called XEC, which is spreading across several European countries.
Though the bug is not likely to be as deadly as some of its predecessors, experts warned that the XEC variant is shaping up to be the "next big challenge" for hospitals.
"At this juncture, the XEC variant appears to be the most likely one to get legs next," Dr Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He said it may take "many weeks, a couple of months, before it really takes hold and starts to cause a wave".
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He added: "XEC is definitely taking charge. That does appear to be the next variant.
"But it's months off from getting into high levels."
How to spot and deal with CovidThe symptoms of the XEC variant are not too different from what we've seen with earlier strains.
This includes tiredness, headaches, sore throat, a high fever and a dry cough.
The loss of taste and smell - once a hallmark sign of the bug - is only reported by two to three per cent of infected Brits, according to the winter Covid report from the Office For National Statistics (ONS) in the UK.
If you are suffering from Covid, prioritise rest and hydration while using over-the-counter medications like paracetamol to relieve symptoms.
The best way to protect yourself from Covid is to get vaccinated.
Jabs have been updated to tackle recent variants, though not specifically for XEC, which evolved from earlier Omicron strains.
The NHS is offering autumn Covid boosters to the most vulnerable in October. This will include:
The NHS will contact eligible patients directly, but they can also book their own appointments now via the NHS App, GPs, pharmacies, drop-in clinics, external or by calling 119.
Whooping cough?The name whooping cough might conjure up images of Victorian England.
But the bacteria infection, also known as the 100-day-cough because of how long it can persist, has been rising in the UK over the last year.
It is a super-contagious infection of the lungs as breathing tubes and can cause severe coughing fits that last for weeks.
As babies have an especially high risk of severe illness, the pertussis vaccine is offered to all pregnant women between 16 and 32 weeks to protect their babies.
But most recent figures suggest uptake is just 60 per cent.
The latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency show 12,200 confirmed cases between January and July 2024.
Eight infants have died of the illness since November last year.
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Whooping cough can persist for months
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Whooping cough cases have surged How to spot and deal with whooping coughWhooping cough symptoms usually start five to 10 days after you catch the bug.
At first, symptoms are often similar to Covid, including a fever and cough.
But after about a week, patients will get coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are worse at night.
Young babies may also make a distinctive "whoop" or have difficulty breathing.
The cough can bring up thick mucus, which can cause people to be sick and have a hard time breathing.
Young children or babies might turn blue or grey because of difficulty breathing, while adults might become red in the face.
If you or your child's lips, tongue, face, or skin suddenly turns blue or grey, call 999 or go to A&E immediately.
The condition spreads very easily and can sometimes cause serious problems, including rib fractures, pneumonia and seizures.
By week eight, the violent cough will usually have developed into something milder.
But for some, it can last several months.
If you do have whooping cough, antibiotics can help - but only if you start taking them within three weeks of your symptoms starting, the NHS says.
Women can get the vaccine through their GP or some antenatal clinics.
All babies are also offered three doses of the six-in-one vaccine, at eight, 12 and 16 weeks of age, to protect against whooping cough and other serious diseases.
Children are then offered a pre-school booster - and any who have not been vaccinated can still get the jab up to the age of 10.
Cheap remedy to reduce child's cold by two days
A common remedy costing £3 could reduce the length of a child's cold.
It can also make them less likely to infect family members with their coughs and sniffles, scientists found.
The University of Edinburgh study looked at saline nasal drops which cost as little as £3.85 at Boots, or a little over £1 at independent pharmacies.
The research team recruited 407 children aged up to six years old who were either given 2.6 per cent hypertonic saline nasal drops or the usual care when they developed a cold.
Overall, 301 children developed a cold throughout the duration of the study.
Out of these children, 151 were give their usual cold care.
Parents to the remaining 150 children were given sea salt and taught to make and apply salt-water nose drops to the children's noses.
They gave them three drops per nostril, at a minimum of four times per day until they got well.
Professor Steve Cunningham said: "We found that children using salt-water nose drops had cold symptoms for an average of six days where those with usual care had symptoms for eight days.
"The children receiving salt water nose drops also needed fewer medicines during their illness."
Avoid spreading a cold in the family
Colds are caused by viruses and easily spread to other people.
You're infectious until all your symptoms have gone.
This usually takes one to two weeks, but it can be longer in babies and young children.
Colds are spread by germs from coughs and sneezes, which can live on hands and surfaces for 24 hours.
To reduce the risk of spreading a cold:
Plus, the best ways to avoid catching a cold from other in the family include:
Hay Fever Treatment: Aussies Shocked To Discover They've Been Using Nasal Spray Wrong Their Whole Lives
Hay fever sufferers have been left baffled after realising the 'correct way' to use nasal spray.
While all know they should inhale nasal spray many fail to reap the benefits as the medication bypasses the nostrils completely, a health expert has claimed.
Professor Helen Brough, a consultant in paediatric allergy and clinical immunology, appeared on ITV's This Morning and shocked host Cat Deeley with her little-known tip.
Rather than squirting and inhaling the spray, she advised to point it into the outer corners of the nose and let the hairs catch the medication.
'I have so many families who come to me who've been having all the medications prescribed but they're still not getting any benefit,' Professor Brough said.
'So, if you go with the nasal spray straight up into the nose and sniff, you'll just swallow the steroid into the stomach, which is not going to help you.'
'You need to [put your] head down, and then you angle the nasal steroid spray towards the side of the nose, and the nasal hairs will then slowly bring it back up where it needs to go,' she continued.
'And then, you don't sniff. You just hold a little tissue here (at the bottom of the nose), if you need to, if there's any that falls out, but most of the time, nothing falls out.
Professor Helen Brough (pictured) appeared on ITV's This Morning and shocked host Cat Deeley with her little-known tip. Rather than squirting and inhaling the spray, she advised to point it into the outer corners of the nose
'So, if you go with the nasal spray straight up into the nose and sniff, you'll just swallow the steroid into the stomach, which is not going to help you,' she said
'And that will mean it goes to where it's directed, and it also means that you're much less likely to get nosebleeds.'
The insight stunned both the TV hosts and viewers alike, with many admitting they had 'no idea' they had been using nasal sprays wrong for years.
'34 years as a hay fever sufferer and no doctor ever thought to tell me how to properly use a nasal spray. Fantastic,' one wrote.
'My husband did that with my daughter and I kept saying no it's not going in like that, but I'll admit I was wrong,' another wrote.
A third dubbed the insight as a 'game changer'.
Always read the instructions on the bottle when using new treatments.
Hay Fever Helped To Wipe Out Mammoths In Post Ice Age Ecosystem, Study Claims
Next time you're sniffing and itching from a bout of hay fever, spare a thought for the doomed mammoth whose infamous extinction may have been linked to the rise of pollen and bunged-up trunks.
New research has made the bold claim that hay fever may have been a factor in the untimely demise of mammoths and other beasts of the Ice Age.
Most of the planet's mammoths fell into extinction more than 10,000 years ago just after the end of the last Ice Age (although a few isolated populations managed to hang on until nearly 4,000 years ago). As the world warmed, the global ecosystem underwent a radical shift and greenery bloomed across the mammoth's habitat for the first time in millennia.
In the new study, scientists argue that the increase in pollen associated with the boom in plants could have led to a significant allergic effect on some animals, reducing their ability to smell odors.
With their noses clogged full of snot, the mammoth's ability to sniff out mating partners could have been impacted and resulted in less successful breeding interactions. Ultimately, this may have put further strain on the population and led them into terminal decline.
"The reduction of the population of certain animal species could be related to mechanisms that violate the sensitivity of odours and, consequently, determine a decrease in the likelihood of finding a sexual partner during the mating period. These mechanisms could be due to pollen allergies, plant toxins, or plant metabolites," the study authors write in the paper.
The researchers draw on a few strands of evidence to back up their argument. By studying the frozen tissues of prehistoric animals – including the woolly mammoth, cave lion, woolly rhinoceros, bison, and horse – they managed to obtain preserved proteins that are related to the immune system.
In particular, the team found fragments of immunoglobulin that may have been pumped out by the mammals due to an allergic reaction. This neatly lines up with their previous study that looked inside the guts of mammoths and found hints of plant life, like Oxytropis sordida and Huperzia, which cause an allergic reaction in many mammals.
The researchers highlight that a weakened sense of smell may have impacted the existence of Ice Age animals in many other ways, including their ability to forage food, navigate during migration, and evade the wrath of hungry predators.
Indeed, the theory doesn't attempt to rule out the other common explanations for the mammoth's extinction, such as habitat loss, overhunting by humans, disease, and inbreeding. It's likely that there were many cruel twists of fate that led to their eventual extinction. However, the new study does put forward the fascinating idea that hay fever may have been an overlooked factor in their passing.
To support their theory, the researchers want to keep an eye out for mammoth samples with traces of immunoglobulin E, a biomarker closely associated with allergic reactions. While the key protein has never been discovered in palaeontological samples of mammals before, it would prove to be an invaluable part of the puzzle for their theory.
The new study is published in the journal Earth History and Biodiversity.
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