All you need to know about hay fever in the UK 

11th April 2024

All you need to know about hay fever in the UK 

As the weather battles to transition into spring, many of us are likely to start finding ourselves grappling with the unwelcome symptoms of hay fever. Unlike the common cold, hay fever stems from an allergic reaction to pollen, which varies in type and intensity throughout the year. 

If you struggle with hay fever every year, you’re not alone. Alternatively, a recent change may have triggered a new experience for you. 49% of the UK report yearly had hay fever symptoms, making it one of the most common allergies. Understanding the different pollen seasons and their impact on hay fever is essential to help you find relief.

Common hayfever and pollen allergen signs

Hay fever and pollen allergies share some common symptoms with the common cold. However, there are some distinct signs that help distinguish between them. The key symptoms of hay fever include:

• Sneezing and coughing
• A runny or blocked nose
• Itchy, red or watery eyes (allergic conjunctivitis)
• Itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears
• Loss of smell
• Forehead pain
• Headaches
• Fatigue

During the peak season, hay fever symptoms can worsen, especially when it’s warm, humid, and windy and the pollen count is high. Unlike a cold, hay fever can last for several weeks or even months.

Pollen calendar

The UK hay fever season is extensive, beginning as early as January and lasting until autumn. The primary culprits behind hay fever are tree, grass, and weed pollens. These peak at different times of the year and are heavily influenced by geographical location and weather patterns.

The hay fever season usually starts with tree pollen and lasts from late March to mid-May. It affects around 25% of hay fever sufferers.

Grass pollen is the most common trigger and typically peaks twice, from mid-May to July. Its impact varies depending on weather conditions and can often intensify symptoms for many.

Finally, weed pollen completes the hay fever cycle from the end of June to September.

Regional variations and weather impact on hay fever 

The timing and severity of hay fever symptoms can vary significantly depending on where you are in the UK. The north tend to have a later start and shorter pollen seasons due to generally lower pollen levels. Cities have lower pollen counts than out in the country, while seaside towns are less affected than inland areas.

The weather also plays a crucial role in pollen production and dispersal. Temperature fluctuations, rainfall, and wind not only determine the start and end of pollen seasons but also day-to-day pollen counts. Unpredictable spring weather and warm early summers can lead to higher pollen production, worsening hay fever symptoms for many.

3 common culprits of hay fever

Three types of tree pollen—birch, oak, and grass pollen —are commonly associated with allergies during the pollen season.

Birch pollen is a major source of pollen in the UK and is released between March and June. It is one of the most common triggers of hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis) during the spring.

Oak trees also contribute significantly to the pollen count, especially in late spring and early summer. Although oak pollen is less allergenic than birch pollen, it can still cause symptoms in sensitive individuals.

Grass pollen, although not a tree, is also worth mentioning as it is one of the most common allergens affecting a large number of people during the summer months. Other sources of tree pollen, such as plane and ash trees, also contribute to the pollen count, but to a lesser extent in terms of widespread allergies, after birch and oak.

Testing for pollen allergies

The pollen seasons can be complicated, and every individual reacts differently to various types of pollen. This can make managing hay fever symptoms on your own seem like a difficult task.

However, identifying your specific triggers is a crucial next step towards finding relief.

By taking a test to determine the exact cause of your hay fever, a targeted management strategy can be developed. Why not take a test today? Our experts will be with you every step of the way, providing medication or suggesting lifestyle adjustments to offer you relief and help you understand your triggers.

Navigating through hay fever season can be challenging, but you’re not on this journey alone. Ready to take the next step toward clearer days? Register as a new patient with us today, and let’s embark on a path to better manage your hay fever and pollen allergens. Whether you opt for a comprehensive evaluation at our London-based allergy clinic or prefer the convenience of our home allergy test, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Why you shouldn’t ignore your seasonal allergies

19th April 2023

Why you shouldn’t ignore your seasonal allergies

We’ve spent a lot of time talking about seasonal allergies – or, as they’re also known, hay fever or allergic rhinitis. There are plenty of blogs on this very site talking about dos and don’ts, what you can do to make them better, and even how climate change can make them worse.

But still, it’s only hay fever, right? What’s the worst that can happen from a sniffly nose or itchy eyes? It’s not as if it’s life or death. Having such a blasé approach to your allergies can do more harm than good – even for a mild seasonal allergy. Let’s look at how you could be making your life more difficult by ignoring yours.

It’s not going to get better

While the symptoms might be annoying at the start, some people think they can just get used to them. They’ll go away on their own eventually, so why bother worrying about it now? Except our body isn’t going to magically heal or grow tolerant of the pollen. That’s the reason it’s reacting in the first place.

Even if you wait, you might be waiting for a long time. Due to climate change, pollen seasons seem to be starting earlier and lasting longer. In one study, they increased by 20 days between 1990 and 2018. And pollen concentrations have gone up 21% over that same time period.

It’s not something to ignore because it’s going to be constantly reminding you it’s there. Ask yourself, do you really want to be dealing with this for months and months?

In fact, it might get worse

As we said, allergies don’t just disappear. You might notice your seasonal allergies affect you less depending on where you are in the world, but your body’s intolerance to them won’t go away. They might do the complete opposite.

People can develop allergies at any age, and it stands to reason that they can get increasingly worse over time, too. Why this happens is hard to pin down, though some speculate repeated exposure to an allergen has its negative effects over the years. So while you try to ignore your allergies, they won’t be going anywhere. And the more you avoid taking the steps to address them, the more chance you give them to develop.

It’s not going to be nice

There can be a tendency with seasonal allergies to “wait out the storm”, as it were. After all, pollen season only lasts so long. Give it enough time and the symptoms will subside. But, as we said, this could be months and months of suffering. Do you want to wake up every morning with a blocked nose? A constant sore throat? Eyes watering at the most inopportune moments?

Even if you decide you can deal with them, why would you want to? As much as you may want to avoid the doctor’s clinic or remember to take an antihistamine every day, the alternative is infinitely more trying.

While seasonal allergies can be annoying, ignoring them will never be the solution. You save yourself a lot of the hassle by being proactive and taking care of any symptoms before they even appear. It’s also not something you have to deal with alone. Talk to a professional today to take some of the burden off your shoulders and enjoy your springtime.

If you ever need advice about your seasonal allergies, get in touch with our team of allergists today. Simply call us on 02031 433 449 or register as a new patient here.

5 seasonal allergy dos and don’ts for this summer

27th March 2023

5 seasonal allergy dos and don’ts for this summer

It’s that time of year for around a quarter of people in the UK. Yes, it’s time for seasonal allergies. Call it hay fever or allergic rhinitis, it’s all the same: runny noses, scratchy throats, and itchy eyes. It makes the spring and summer months almost unbearable for some, depending on the severity of their symptoms.

And every year you might end up asking yourself the same questions. What’s the pollen count? Is it worth going outside? Should I take an antihistamine now or later? Oh the joys. So to stop your fretting, we’ve put together some essential seasonal allergy dos and don’ts. Let’s look at how you can make your summer that little bit easier.

Don’t: Leave the windows open

We’ll start with a basic tip. As you’ll likely already know, it’s the pollen in the air that aggravates our hay fever and sets us off. So if you leave your window open, you’re practically inviting it into your home.

This goes double at nighttime. If you leave the windows open in your bedroom while you sleep, not only do you let the pollen inside, you let it affect you while you don’t even notice. Next thing you know, you’ll wake up with a stuffy nose and dry throat, getting your day off to the worst possible start!

Do: Take more frequent showers

It’s inevitable that, at some point, you’re going to have to leave your home and go outside. And when you do, you’re walking amongst the pollen in the air. It will stick to your clothes, in your hair, and on your pets (if you have any).

So when you get home, make it a habit of first changing clothes (to avoid spreading the pollen on your furniture) and preferably have a shower too. This way, you wash any pollen off your skin and out of your hair. Pets can’t escape this either. Give them more frequent baths to get rid of any pollen clinging to them.

Don’t: Dry your clothes outside

Sometimes, there’s nothing better than putting on fresh, air-dried clothes. Other times, there’s nothing worse. The pollen that sticks to you when you go for a walk is just as likely to stick to any clothes you hang up outside.

If you don’t have a tumble dryer, you’re better off doing them inside in a cool room. You may want to invest in a dehumidifier to draw out some of that excess moisture and prevent it from affecting your room.

Do: Keep up your exercise routine

From our tips so far, you might think you’re better off just avoiding going outside altogether. But that’s excessive – you can still enjoy the outdoors, just with a little extra caution. And this still applies if you like to go for a jog.

If your idea of exercise involves heading outdoors, you can still do that as long as you change when you go out. Pollen levels are, typically, higher in the morning and evening. So instead of that 6am stroll, maybe move it to your lunch break.

Don’t: Overmedicate

Antihistamines are an over-the-counter medication you can buy at any good supermarket or chemist. And they’re almost essential for people with hay fever as it greatly reduces the severity of symptoms. So, to some people, it may make sense to have one or two more than the recommended dose.

You should never do this. Always follow the advice on the box and talk to your doctor before you take any extra self-medication steps. Those guidelines are there for a reason, and overmedication can do more harm than good. Talk to your GP or an allergy specialist if you find antihistamines aren’t doing enough for you. They may be able to prescribe a stronger alternative.

And those are our seasonal allergy dos and don’ts! Some of them are common sense but just might not occur to you in your day-to-day life. But now that you know them, you can spend more of your summer enjoying the weather than blowing your nose.

If your seasonal allergies are interfering with your life, then get in touch. Our allergists can help you with your hay fever and ensure you don’t have to suffer more than necessary. Reach out on 02031 433 449 or register as a new patient today.

What to do about your mystery seasonal allergy

20th April 2022

What to do about your mystery seasonal allergy

In a recent blog, we talked about what to do about springtime allergies. It’s that time of year that hay fever and pollen sensitivities start to affect people. Blocked noses, itchy eyes, and scratchy throats are all uncomfortably common. But when you know what you’re fighting against, it’s at least easier to treat.

If you experience these symptoms and don’t know why? That’s when it gets trickier. It might describe you. Every year, around the same time, you start to feel those familiar warning signs. But you ignore them and try to carry on. We’re here to tell you that you don’t have to turn a blind eye.

In fact, it’s better not to. If you’re having mystery symptoms that might be seasonal allergies, here’s what you should do.

Start an allergy diary

This is a bit of an odd one. Most people with allergies don’t have to track them. They just treat them and get on with life. But when you don’t know what you’re up against? That information can be invaluable.

Keeping track of your symptoms is just so you have something to talk to a doctor about. If you can go to an allergy specialist and tell them when you’re experiencing certain symptoms, it’s going to help their diagnosis and recommendations. Factors to note down include time of year, time of day, and what reactions you have. It’s going to come in handy for this next tip…

Talk to a specialist

You can talk to your GP and it’ll be fine, but we recommend talking specifically with an allergist. This is because they’re going to have more in-depth experience with this topic and can quickly guide you to an answer.

The allergy diary is going to be useful here. It’ll likely answer some of their questions for you and start them down the path of finding what you’re allergic to. In the case of seasonal allergies, if they see your reactions around March or April, it’s going to point them towards a tree pollen allergy.

Get an allergy test

This might be the allergist’s next course of action. An allergy test will further help them hone in on the right answer and start shaping your course of treatment. For average seasonal allergies, this may just be some antihistamines. More serious allergies will require more serious treatments.

If you’re unsure about this, talk openly with the allergy specialist. They can talk you through the types of tests available, what results you’re likely to see, and how the test might affect you. You can read more about allergy testing in one of our other blogs.

25% of people in the UK have a seasonal allergy like hay fever. So if this is the case for you, just know you’re far from alone. Talk to the right people, get yourself tested, and start to live a healthier life. Don’t let that stuffy nose ruin any more summers!

If you’re looking for an allergy specialist to guide you through your seasonal allergy concerns, get in touch. You can register as a new patient at this link or, if you’d rather, give us a quick call on 02031 433 449.

Preventative measures you can take to keep your hay fever in check

17th March 2021

Preventative measures you can take to keep your hay fever in check

Spring is here. The days are getting longer. The weather is getting warmer. For many, it’s the best time of year. But for others, it signals the return of a particularly pesky condition: hay fever.

Stuffy noses, itchy eyes, and scratchy throats are all they have to look forward to. But other than taking over-the-counter antihistamines, what preventative measures can you take to keep your hay fever at bay? Here are a few suggestions for how you can look out for your health this spring and summer.

Tip #1 – Keep it clean

The cause of hay fever is pollen. It gets into our body and sets off our immune system, which sees it as a threat. That’s why the symptoms are mostly around your face and throat – it’s your immune system trying to fight the pollen away.

But pollen is tricky as it can stick to you. Your clothes, your hair, your furniture, and even your pets can play host to pollen. So one good way to keep yourself healthy is to wash anything the pollen might come into contact with. If you go outside, change your clothes when you get back and stick them in the wash. Shampoo your hair every night. Vacuum your floor and furniture you use a lot. And give your dogs and cats a brush down too. Anything to get rid of the pollen.

Tip #2 – Avoid the outdoors where you can

This tip doesn’t mean you should stay indoors forever (no matter how good at it we are now). But if you can avoid interacting with the outdoors, then it’s the best action to take. We mean something like not opening your windows; if you do, the pollen has an easy way to get inside.

Don’t hang your laundry outside – as we said in tip #1, it’s easy for pollen to stick to clothes. If someone else can do gardening in your household, maybe delegate that task to them. It’s about avoiding any unnecessary interactions with the outdoors.

Tip #3 – Dress appropriately

There are certain items you can wear that will reduce the chance you come into contact with pollen. First, you can invest in some wrap-around sunglasses. These make it harder for pollen to come into contact with your eyes, preventing watery, itchy eyes.

Another item is a cap or other hat. This stops pollen from getting in your hair, reducing the need to wash it as frequently. The last one you will already have – a mask. Pollen particles are actually quite large, meaning the mask you already use to prevent the spread of coronavirus might also help with your hay fever.

Hay fever isn’t fun and can put a real damper on your summer. But they say prevention is better than the cure. So take some basic steps to reduce the chance you come into contact with pollen and talk to your doctor about medication you can use to ease symptoms.

Allergy Clinic London has a team of allergists ready to help you discover and manage your allergies. Don’t let them control your life. Get in touch with us on 02031 433 449.

A never-ending struggle: allergies through the seasons

16th October 2019

A never-ending struggle: allergies through the seasons

Sometimes it can feel as if allergies are a constant source of stress. Most people think of hay fever as the only seasonal allergy. But sometimes one season rolls into another and there’s no relief from the sneezing or itching. Why is this? It’s because different seasons bring different allergens. 

It’s tough to keep up, we know. So here’s a quick breakdown of which allergies are typical of each season.

Autumn

The damp conditions of autumn cause mould spores to thrive, especially if it’s still a little humid outside. Whether it’s in piles of leaves, grass, or compost piles, mould might extend your spring and summer suffering. It also tends to be windier in autumn, meaning any leftover pollen can wreak havoc while mould spores get blown around and are more likely to intrude on your personal space.

Winter

During the cold, frosty weather we get some much-needed relief from pollen and hay fever. But we’re often met with a new nemesis. As you power up your heating, it can kick up a lot of dust. Dust allergy symptoms look a lot like hay fever, often making it a year-round struggle.

You can limit your suffering by keeping your home’s humidity below 55%, using a HEPA filter in your vacuum, and keeping up with cleaning around the house. No one wants to get sneezing, wheezing, and itching for Christmas!  

Some keen varieties of tree pollen may also make an early appearance towards the end of winter.

Spring

April showers bring beautiful flowers. But these beautiful flowers also bring hay fever. This is one of the most common allergies out there; somewhere between 10 and 30% of adults are said to suffer. 

From March onwards, tree and plant pollen will be in full swing. And as the weather starts to get nicer, you’ll probably start spending more time outside, increasing your chance of symptoms. 

Summer 

As tree and plant pollen make their way out, we get treated to grass and weed pollen instead! It’s the time of barbeques and picnics, meaning we like to keep our grass nice and trimmed – do you see where we’re going with this?

We’re outside more meaning we can get irritated by smog in the atmosphere. And also run an increased risk of any insect sting or bite allergies.

The moral of this story is that every season brings with it new reasons to sneeze. While an entire year of runny noses and streaming eyes sounds less than ideal, a bit of caution can easily reduce your suffering. Pay attention to the weather, keep an eye on pollen counts, and try to keep allergens out of your home.

If you want to find out more about seasonal allergies or book an allergy test to identify your triggers, give us a call on 02031 433 499.

Spring cleaning to stop dust mites

20th March 2018

Spring cleaning to stop dust mites

It’s March which means spring is upon us. Hooray! But let’s not get overexcited. The snowy weather here in the UK says anything other than “spring”. But while the weather catches up with the calendar, you may have found that the dirt in your house has caught up to your allergies. It’s time for a spring clean. For people with house dust mite allergies, deep cleaning your home can be both a solution and trigger for your symptoms. But, there are ways to minimise the risk of an allergic reaction during cleaning, and in the long run.

Mighty mites

Allergic reactions to house dust mites are different from other bugs, and are caused by hypersensitivity to proteins in the excretions of dust mites. These reactions manifest as rhinitis, asthma, eczema, or atopic dermatitis. For those with dust mite allergies, it’s important to take steps to reduce exposure to the critters in the home.

Research estimates that dust mite allergens trigger 50% of asthma sufferers and there are 65 to 130 million people worldwide who are sensitive to house dust mites. This is an estimate. Many people who are sensitive to house dust mites might not even know. The mites are microscopic. So, even if your house looks clean, there are often micro-habitats within the home allowing them to prevail.

Although eliminating house dust mites from your home is near impossible, a deep, thorough spring clean could reduce their numbers, allowing you to be free from allergy symptoms. Dust mites love warm, slightly humid areas. They feed off the dead skin cells we shed throughout our homes. This means our bedding and mattresses are dust mite heaven, as they provide these perfect conditions. During your spring clean you should wash all your bedding, sheets, blankets, throws and curtains at temperatures above 55°C to kill the mites and reduce allergens.

Other steps to take

It is better to have hard floors if you have dust mite allergies. Hard floors do not provide a hospitable environment for house dust mites like carpets do. If you do have carpet in your home, using a hoover with a HEPA filter stops the dispersion of dust into the air and around your home unlike with regular vacuums. If you want to wash your carpet, it’s good to use steam-cleaning. One Scottish study showed an 87% drop in the concentration of dust mites per gram of dust after carpets were steam cleaned.

When removing dust, use a damp cloth. Removing dust in your home will reduce your exposure to allergens but dry dusting will spread the allergens into the air. This leaves you at risk of an allergic reaction. To further minimise this risk, wear an allergy mask during cleaning. This will stop any allergens in the air getting into your lungs and causing a reaction.

Sometimes, even these spring cleaning methods are not enough to rid you of your dust mite allergy symptoms. You may need to take further action. Desensitisation immunotherapy to house dust mite allergens is one possible solution to improve your quality of life. Find out more about the treatments available for your dust mite allergies by booking an appointment with one of our specialist consultants today.