People with hay fever may be in for a long weekend as pollen levels are said to be very high in some parts of the UK, as an expert shares ways to avoid it making life a misery
An expert has shared tips on how people who suffer with hay fever can enjoy the Easter weekend, as several parts of the country are set to have “very high levels” of pollen.
Around 13 million people live with hay fever in the UK and this time of year can be a very uncomfortable one. That’s because the increased amounts of pollen in the air can trigger a range of symptoms, including a runny nose, headaches , watery eyes and a wheezing cough. The Met Office has warned London and the South East, East of England, West and East Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber will have the highest levels of the tiny nose tickler tomorrow.
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This will drop to merely high into the weekend. The rest of the UK does not escape lightly as people in Wales and the North West and North East will face high levels tomorrow, dropping to medium come Saturday.
Dr Alexis Missick, a GP who works with online prescription service UK Meds told the Sun: “Unlike a cold, which lasts around three to seven days, hay fever symptoms last as long as you are exposed to the allergen and can get particularly bad when pollen levels are high.”
The GP also gave a number of hints. These were:
- Don’t drink alcohol
- Use Vaseline
- Eat spicy food
- Wear sunglasses
- Shower after being outside
- Change your clothes after being outside
- Keep windows and doors closed
- Use pollen filters in the car
- Wash and rinse hair often
- Wash your pets
Tree pollen is the first to appear and typically lasts until mid-May, followed by grass pollen – which most people are allergic to – released until July. The season concludes with the release of weed pollen until September, making it a lengthy period for hay fever sufferers to cope with the uncomfortable symptoms.
This week it was reported a woman missed her brother’s wedding due to suffering from extreme hay fever , which causes her serious breathing problems. Jasmine Lowdon was devastated when she was unable to attend her brother’s nuptials because her symptoms were so severe.
Jasmine, from Northampton, said: “Hay fever ruined my life – no matter what I tried, nothing seemed to work. I was beyond devastated when I had to miss my brother’s wedding – it’s a special event, and I wanted to be there to support my brother and his new bride.”
