Pollen bomb prompts warning to hay fever sufferers

Hay fever sufferers have been told it's "vital" they are prepared for a series of pollen bombs set to hit the UK. Antihistamines and steroid nasal sprays are commonly used to tackle symptoms, including a runny nose, streaming eyes and itchy eyes - and an expert has suggested its "much better" to take them in advance.

One in two Brits are believed to have hay fever, which is more prominent when the pollen count is at its highest, typically during warm, humid and windy weather. A 'pollen bomb' sees massive release travel through the air from trees that have stored "stacks and stacks of pollen".

The Mirror reports that Max Wiseberg, an airborne allergens expert, expects the count to rise as early as next week. He said it was "really important" sufferers kept an eye on forecasts and were aware of periods of warmer weather that could trigger their symptoms.

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He said: “Some years ago, various different meteorological weather aspects meant we were going to get more pollen than ever before. Last year we had a really good June, which meant the trees stored up lots of goodness in them to create lots of pollen. If that is followed by the right weather in late winter and early spring, it can cause the trees to produce stacks and stacks of pollen, more than they normally would. That’s the kind of condition that could trigger a pollen bomb.

"The pollen count will continue to go up, because it always does around this time of year. We often get a peak in April, and that's usually down to tree pollen. Then in May, June and July, pollen counts will go up as a result of grass pollen. At some point in June and July, we’ll likely get a really huge peak that will impact everyone."

Mr Wiseberg said it was "much better" to take antihistamines and steroid nasal sprays before symptoms began, adding: "For antihistamines, you can take them four weeks or so before your hay fever starts, and for steroid nasal sprays, maybe a couple of weeks.” He said an allergen barrier balm could also be applied to the nostrils to reduce the amount of pollen getting into the body.

The UK Health Security Agency states that climate change could be blamed for the early arrival of pollen bombs. Mr Wiseberg added: "Climate change is one of the definite reasons why pollen counts are so high. It releases more co2 into the atmosphere, which means warmer weather, longer seasons and more pollen. There’s also the possibility that the co2 coupled with pollution make the pollen grains more potent - so then you get to find that even with medium pollen counts, more people are getting affected than they were before", he added.