Hay fever advice sought every three seconds: What are the symptoms and how do you treat it?
Though there is no official cure for hay fever, there are steps you can take to reduce the symptoms
Dogs and babies can also develop hay fever, but the symptoms differ
/ Shutterstock / aslysunHS England have said that people sought advice for hay fever symptoms once every three seconds on Sunday.
The UK has had high levels of pollen in recent weeks, and today, it is expected to be "very high" throughout most of England and Wales.
NHS England reported that there had been 122,650 visits to the hay fever section of the website last week.
What is hay fever?
Allergies are very common. The first wave of allergies emerged around 50 years ago, with a huge surge in asthma and hay fever.
One in four people in the UK has hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis) which equates to about 16 million people. People with hay fever are four times more likely to suffer from other conditions driven by allergies, such as asthma, eczema and food allergy.
The number of people diagnosed with allergic rhinitis, asthma and eczema has also trebled over 30 years.
Hay fever tends to be worse in March and September, especially when it’s warm, humid and windy — this is because the pollen count is at its highest.
Who can get hay fever?
We know that hay fever is becoming increasingly more common, but did you know that babies and dogs can also get hay fever?
Children can be affected by pollen and dust in a similar way to adults. While babies and infants may have similar symptoms to many viral infections like the common cold and conditions like asthma — watch out for frequent sneezing, blocked or runny noses, itchy ears, throat, and/or mouth, red, swollen or watery eyes, and headaches.
Hay fever in dogs also looks different from the symptoms that adults or humans experience. But it’s important to watch out for the below symptoms that arise in spring and/or summer:
Itching, nibbling or rubbing their:
- Paws
- Eyes, ears, mouth and muzzle
- Armpits
- Abdomen
- Legs
- Around their bum
- Groin
What are the general symptoms of hay fever?
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 can you treat hay fever?
Though there is no official cure for hay fever, there are steps you can take to reduce the symptoms. Head to your local GP and they may prescribe you a steroid treatment, such as a steroid nasal spray.
They may also give you small amounts of pollen as an injection or tablet to slowly build up your immunity to pollen. The treatment usually starts in the winter about 3 months before the hay fever season begins.
To take matters into your own hands, adding bee pollen to your breakfast, yogurt or smoothie may help ease symptoms or upping your honey intake a few months before peak hay fever season.