HAY FEVER sufferers are facing a miserable weekend - as a pollen bomb is set to drop across the whole of England as early as tomorrow.
The warmer weather will allow birch trees to offload pollen into the air,which will keep people sneezing for several days.
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The Met Office said pollen levels will be "high" across all of England on Thursday and Friday, where temperatures are due to reach 20C in places.
It will remain "high" across large swathes of the country on Saturday, including the South East, West Midlands, East Midlands and the East of England.
Wales will see "medium" levels on Thursday before experiencing the bombs rath on Friday when levels are predicted to jump to "high".
Welsh hay fever sufferers will be relieved of their agony once again on Saturday when levels drop back to "medium".
Read more on hay fever
"Medium" pollen levels will be seen in Northern Ireland and most of Scotland from Thursday to Saturday.
The only areas spared of the bomb's blow are the Highlands, Eilean Siar, Orkney and Shetland, where pollen levels are predicted to be "low" for three days.
Some of the more southern Scottish regions, including Strathclyde, Central, Tayside, Fyfe, and Grampian, will see "medium" pollen levels until Saturday, when the count is due to drop to "low."
Bedford-based airborne allergens specialist Max Wiseberg warned that this is " just the beginning" of the "peak tree pollen production."
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He added: "[It's] not good news for hay fever sufferers allergic to tree pollen, which will likely continue well into May."
It's estimated that half the British population suffer from hay fever symptoms, according to Allergy UK.
Most people tend to be allergic to grass pollen, whichstrikesin latespringand earlysummer.
But up to 25 per cent of hay fever sufferers are allergic to tree pollen, which tends to start circulating in spring.
Birch trees have started blooming two weeks ahead of their usual date, prompting experts to warn that this is an omen for worse to come.
The switch to longer daylight hours and a mix of sunshine, showers and branch-shaking windy weather has produced perfect conditions for tree pollen as we move into April, they said.
How can I prep for the pollen bomb?
Max advised that hay fever sufferersstart preparing for the pollensurge to come in the next few months.
Max said: "If you use antihistamines, many manufacturers recommend starting a month before your season starts.
"And it's the same with nasal sprays - they need several days to build up their maximum protective effect and some makers advise starting using them one month before your hay fever season begins."
For acute symptoms, he suggests a 'Hay Fever First Aid Kit' of different products that can complement each other in providing relief.
For example, applying an allergen barrier balm to the nostrils can trap the tiny particles before they enter the body.
There are also practicalstepssuch as wrap-around sunglasses, tying up pollen-attracting longhairand wearing a cap outdoors.
What is hay fever?
Hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis is an allergic reaction to pollen and other airborne allergens such as fungal spores.
It happens when the immune system's overacting to antigens such as pollen.
These antigens stimulate the body's mast cells, which release histamines that cause unpleasant itching, redness, inflammation and other hay fever symptoms.
It is more common in younger people - at least one in four people aged 15-25 are sufferers.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for hay fever, which causes sneezing, coughing, a runny nose, red, itchy eyes, earaches and headaches.
In the UK, this year's pollen season started early - with birch trees blooming more than two weeks ahead of schedule.
Peak levels of grass pollen are similarly anticipated to be pulled forward from June in the coming months due to the balmy weather.
It's expected this year's season will last until at least October, with grass pollen gradually being replaced by weed pollen into theautumn.
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Hay fever symptoms & how to treat it
HAY fever is usually worse between late March and September, especially when it's warm, humid and windy. This is when the pollen count is at its highest.
Typical symptoms include:
- frequent sneezing
- runny or blocked nose
- itchy, red or watery eyes (allergicconjunctivitis)
- an itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears
- cough, caused by postnasal drip (mucus dripping down the throat from the back of the nose)
Less commonly, you may also experience:
- the loss of your sense of smell (anosmia)
- facial pain (caused by blocked sinuses)
- headaches
- earache
- tiredness and fatigue
If you haveasthma, yourasthma symptomsmay get worse when you have hay fever.
How to treat it
There's currently no cure for hay fever and you cannot prevent it.
But you can do things to ease your symptoms when the pollen count is high.
- Put Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen
- Wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen from getting into your eyes
- Shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off
- Stay indoors whenever possible
- Keep windows and doors shut as much as possible
- Vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth
- Buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car and a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter
- Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to do your normal activities
Source: NHS
