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'I've Always Hated Hayfever Season But This One Small Thing Has Changed My Life'
With nearly half of the UK population suffering from hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, the beginning of a new season can cause an increase in symptoms07:00, 09 Mar 2025Updated 10:44, 09 Mar 2025
Every spring, nearly half of the UK population starts suffering from hay fever – far earlier than summer, like everyone assumes. Those affected are often left miserable on beautiful days when they should be enjoying the new season's sunshine.
The official name for hay fever is allergic rhinitis and it has similar symptoms to the common cold – a runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing and congestion. But while a cold is caused by a virus that tends to stay in the body for three to seven days, hay fever is caused by an allergy so it lasts as long as you're exposed to whatever is causing it.
"The allergic reaction occurs when the lining of the nose becomes exposed and sensitised to certain triggers, such as pollen," explains Dr Rosie Godeseth, associate medical director at Vitality. "On exposure to these triggers, histamine and other inflammatory molecules are released, which act on nerve endings and blood vessels to produce typical hay fever symptoms. It affects certain individuals based on their own combination of genetic factors and environmental exposures."
Dr Rosie warns asthma sufferers to take particular care as the weather warms up, as pollen can worsen or even trigger asthma symptoms. While there is no known cure for hay fever, many people can manage their symptoms with over-the-counter medication, such as antihistamines, nasal sprays and eye drops. As with many other allergies, the ideal situation is to avoid exposure to the triggering allergens. So people with hay fever can take steps such as shutting windows when the pollen count is high and avoiding buying fresh flowers.
There are also some natural and easy remedies to try that can help alleviate the symptoms of hay fever…
READ MORE: NHS ibuprofen warning - 'do not take' if you have these three symptoms VaselinePlacing a small amount of Vaseline around your nose and eyes can catch pollen and prevent it from causing aggravation. "Vaseline provides a barrier that catches pollen particles before they enter your body," says Dr Rosie. "It also relieves the sore skin often caused by hay fever symptoms."
Take a showerOn warm, dry days when the pollen count is at its highest, you can avoid worsening your symptoms by taking a shower whenever you get home. Washing your hair and putting on fresh clothes will remove any lingering pollen and lower the risk of irritation. It's best to avoid drying your washing outdoors as your laundry can collect pollen that could then get transferred around your home.
Eat local honeySome research suggests eating local honey can lessen the effects of hay fever as it exposes sufferers to the same pollen that is present where they live and helps the body to naturally form a tolerance. "While anecdotal evidence supports this, we should approach this critically," says Dr Veronika Matutyte from the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. "I recommend it as part of an integrated approach to managing hay fever."
Shut windows and doorsWhile it can be tempting to keep your windows and doors open to allow fresh air inside, this allows pollen to enter the home which in turn can aggravate symptoms. It sounds obvious, but keep them closed as much as possible to stop pollen from coming indoors. Some sufferers find that having an air purifier in their living room or bedroom useful for catching stray particles that have made it inside.
Get to grips with pollen seasonsThere are as many as 30 different types of pollen that cause hay fever and it is possible to be allergic to multiple types. Dr Rosie advises, "Make a note of when your symptoms are at their worst so you can take preventative measures. Tree pollen tends to be released between March and April, grass pollen between May and July, and weed pollen between June and August."
'I remember dreading outdoor activities'Feng shui consultant and manifestation coach Karena Sophia, 44, from Worcester, manages her hay fever with natural remedies…
"I didn't start suffering from hay fever until my teen years. I would dread outdoor activities and sit with dozens of tissues from May to July, with itchy eyes and a streaming nose. It didn't change until I got pregnant at 26.
"I never liked antihistamines as they made me drowsy – even ones that weren't supposed to. Then I got pregnant in February 2007 and knew I had to start preparing my body before hay fever season. I saw a nutritionist in London and started taking her pregnancy multivitamins every day, which contained 180mg of vitamin C, as well as other things. The year that I was pregnant I didn't have any signs of hay fever.
"The following year, after giving birth, the hay fever returned, so I started taking Vitamin C in 250-500mg tablets when I had symptoms, but it didn't do much. I realised I should have started taking them earlier in the year.
"Some years I'd forget and have to rely on antihistamines when it got bad, but I've always preferred natural remedies to medicines. Now I'm a certified feng shui consultant and manifestation coach and my work is very much about nature and energy healing and I'm even more of an advocate for natural alternatives. It's been many years since I've touched an antihistamine.
"I've also discovered that localised honey naturally programs the immune system to get used to pollen too, so I take a spoonful every morning from February onwards and I rarely suffer now. I'm pleased to say hay fever, as it was, is finally a thing of the past."
Learn more about Karena at thegracefulhealer.Co.Uk
READ MORE: Sky brings back 'lowest ever price' as £120 is cut from TV, Netflix and broadband billsWhat Is Lassa Fever? Symptoms And How It Spreads
British health authorities are investigating whether Lassa fever, a viral illness with symptoms similar to Ebola, may have spread to the UK. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed that a person who travelled to England from Nigeria while infected with Lassa fever was diagnosed after returning to Nigeria. The UKHSA is now working to identify individuals who may have come into contact with the affected person during their stay in the UK.
Lassa fever is transmitted through direct contact with the blood, urine, or faeces of infected rodents, or from person to person through bodily fluids. Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation and take necessary precautions to prevent further spread. As UK authorities monitor for potential Lassa fever cases, it's important to understand the symptoms and how the virus spreads.
What Are the Symptoms of Lassa Fever and How Does It Spread? How it spreadsAccording to the UK Health Security Agency, Lassa fever, the disease caused by the Lassa virus, was first described in the 1950s. The virus was identified in 1969 after 2 missionary nurses died from the disease in the Nigerian town of Lassa. Lassa fever is endemic (meaning it is regularly found) in parts of West Africa, particularly Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The Lassa virus is carried by a particular type of rodent, the Mastomys rodent, which occurs in high numbers in these countries.
The most common way for people to catch Lassa virus in these affected countries is through eating contaminated food or breathing in the virus. People can also be infected from the droppings of infected rodents, for example, on floors, home surfaces, or in food or water. Some people eat Mastomys, and they may catch Lassa virus when catching and preparing these rodents for eating.
Lassa virus does not spread easily between people. It can be spread from one person to another if they have contact with the body fluids of someone who has Lassa fever, such as blood, saliva, urine or semen.
Symptoms of Lassa feverAccording to the UK Health Security Agency, most people who get Lassa fever have mild symptoms and make a full recovery. However, in some cases the virus can cause more severe illness and death.
Symptoms usually occur between 1 and 3 weeks after having contact with the Lassa virus.
Pregnant women are at higher risk of getting seriously ill if they catch Lassa fever, particularly in the third trimester. Catching the virus in pregnancy increases the chance of stillbirth and miscarriage, as well as serious complications and a higher chance of death for pregnant women.
Why Hay Fever Is Worse This Year - And What You Can Do About It
Almost exactly 200 years ago, a London-based doctor called John Bostock noticed he would get an itchy throat, sore watering eyes, and an irritated nose during warmer months.
He found 28 other patients suffering with the same symptoms, without explanation. He coined the term hay fever, but it wasn't until 1859 that scientist Charles Blackley, suffering from symptoms himself, correctly hypothesised that pollen was to blame.
Fast forward to the modern day and it's estimated around 13 million people in the UK are suffering from hay fever - and research suggests it could get worse.
Here is a look at how pollen causes hay fever, when the season is and why it could feel worse for sufferers this year.
What causes hay fever?
Hay fever is essentially an allergy to pollen, the fine powder plants produce as part of their reproductive cycle.
Pollen contains proteins and people have an allergic reaction to these proteins - hay fever being one of those reactions, along with allergic asthma and eczema.
The symptoms are caused when the immune system reacts to pollen in the body to produce histamine and other chemicals, according to the Met Office.
Hay fever is most commonly caused by grass pollens, although other pollens - of which there are around 30 - can also trigger symptoms.
Insects and the wind help spread pollen, and the weather hugely impacts how much pollen is released and spread around.
Hay fever sufferers may hope for rainy days, when pollen can be cleared from the air, whereas it spreads easily on hot, humid and windy days.
The pollen count is highest in the early evening on sunny days and that's when you are most likely to suffer from hay fever symptoms, the Met Office says.
When is hay fever season?
There are three different types of hay fever seasons, triggered by different types of pollen.
Tree pollen comes first, typically from late March to mid-May, affecting around 25% of hay fever sufferers.
Grass pollen affects the majority of hay fever sufferers due to around 150 types of grass pollen flowering simultaneously. It has two peaks, and its season typically lasts from May until July.
Weed pollen is the third trigger, and it can be released at any time, though the season typically covers the end of June to September.
Why is it worse this year?
It is the tree pollen phase of hay fever season between March and mid-May that will be more severe for sufferers, says Dr Beverley Adams-Groom, senior palynologist and pollen forecaster at the University of Worcester.
She tells Sky News people will likely suffer more severe symptoms due to a particularly high pollen count, saying that's down to two factors.
"First of all, trees that produce allergenic pollen in the UK tend to have alternating high and low years of severity - this year is a high year," she says.
"Secondly, there was suitable weather for high pollen production last summer when the pollen was set in the buds."
It was a particularly warm and dry June, meaning more pollen was produced in birch, leading to a more severe tree pollen season, she explains.
She says central regions of the UK are particularly affected. Southern and eastern regions are being affected less due to periods of cold winds in the spring that tend to reduce the amount of pollen released.
She says grass pollen season is likely to be around average this year, but it's a bit too early to know for certain.
Read more:What is the difference between a cyclone, typhoon and hurricane?How lab-grown food could be on UK shelves within two years
Why it could get worse long-term
Climate change could make hay fever worse in a number of ways, according to UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) research:
• Changes in temperature and rainfall may lengthen the UK pollen season and potentially make pollen concentrations higher• It could change the potency of pollen, making single pollen particles a more threatening allergy-causing agent• Climate change affecting the geographical distribution of allergenic plants, with invasive species such as ambrosia (common ragweed) being on the watch list. A single ragweed plant can produce a billion grains of pollen per season and its pollen causes strong allergic reactions.
Climate change is already having an impact, according to Dr Adams-Groom, because it's leading to the sort of warmer June temperatures we saw last year, which led to a higher pollen count.
How can hay fever be treated?
There is unfortunately no cure for hay fever, and you can't prevent it, so the only option for sufferers is to try and manage its symptoms.
Tips on easing the symptoms include:
• Put Vaseline around the nostrils to trap pollen• Wear wraparound sunglasses to prevent pollen getting into the eyes• Stay indoors whenever possible• Get advice from pharmacists on treatments including antihistamine drops, tablets or nasal sprays.
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