HAYFEVER and asthma sufferers should make sure they have their medication handy this week as the Met Office issues a 'very high' pollen count.
It's not yet known when levels will reduce after the red warning for very high pollen came into force at the start of the week.
A Met Office spokesman said: “The grass pollen risk will be increasing to very high levels during the week ahead. Spore and weed levels will be elevated too.”
It's not good news if you're a #hayfever sufferer today, as #pollen levels will be very high across the bulk of the UK. Some good news for Scotland though, as pollen levels will be low here pic.twitter.com/hYKopEttCb
— Met Office (@metoffice) June 6, 2018
For most, pollen is harmless, but if you have an allergy then your immune system overreacts and produces histamines.
For many people with asthma, this release of histamines when they have hay fever makes asthma symptoms worse.
Symptoms of hay fever include:
- sneezing and coughing
- a runny or blocked nose
- itchy, red or watery eyes
- itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears
- loss of smell
- pain around your temples and forehead
- headache
- earache
- feeling tired
If you have asthma, you might also:
- have a tight feeling in your chest
- be short of breath
- wheeze and cough
How to ease your symptoms:
Put Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen
Wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes
Shower and change your clothes after you've 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 special HEPA filter
Take your hay fever medicine every day, even if you think you will be fine.
Pollen count is usually higher in the morning and late in the afternoon, so if you can avoid going out, do.
Don’t drink too much. Alcohol increases your sensitivity to pollen.
Take an asthma attack risk checker
Manage your asthma. The more you are on top of it, the less likely you will be to suffer
Have you got any other tips for hay fever sufferers?
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