Nearly everyone in the UK has been ill at some point over the last few months, with winter illnesses hitting the population hard.
However, with the first signs of sun coming out this week after months of darkness and rain, there seems to be literal light at the end of the tunnel as Spring approaches.
Having spent weeks in bed with a runny nose and horrible cough, with Covid and super flu symptoms rife when the temperatures drop, it seems ridiculous to be thinking about summer illnesses.
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But while constantly reaching for tissues is something more associated with winter colds, or lonely nights alone, it’s also a realistic expectation for hay fever sufferers across the world.
And for some strange reason, those sneezing fits and itchy eyes look to have arrived far earlier this year, with today’s ridiculously high pollen count perhaps an explanation for why those symptoms seem to have hit a lot of us in the UK.
The Met Office states: “Depending on the time of year, the type of pollen in the air will be different. There are around 30 different types of pollen that cause hay fever and it is possible to be allergic to more than one type.
“Most people are allergic to grass pollen, which is common in late spring and early summer. Tree pollen tends to be released during spring and affects around 25% of people. Weed pollen can be released at any time from the early spring to the late autumn.”
While tree pollen might be more common in spring, which is still a few weeks away, it’s been reaching extremely high levels across the UK today.
Generally, it takes just over 50ppm (pollen per cubic metre) for symptoms to appear but in LADbible’s home city of Manchester today, levels have been at a staggering 239ppm.
Of course, there is no cure for hay fever other than avoiding the outdoors and arming yourself with a mass of tissues, with an illegal treatment known as Kenalog also warned against in the UK last year when the suffering became a bit too much for some folks.
National Pharmacy Association chairman Olivier Picard told the Metro: “We know that hay fever season is well and truly upon us and as these findings show, pharmacies are reporting increased numbers of patients visiting them to help treat their symptoms.
“Kenalog is not licensed in the UK for the treatment of hay fever and we are clear that patients should not seek it online or request it from their community pharmacy.
“We’re urging people to avoid using unlicensed treatments, which could pose a serious risk to their health, and instead speak with their pharmacist about other options for managing hay fever symptoms.
“Pharmacists are well placed to provide safe licensed alternatives, such as antihistamines or steroid nasal sprays.”