Healthwise
Doctors have seen a huge spike in the number of patients suffering hay fever, amid fears that this season could be one of the worst for years
1:00PM BST 23 Jun 2014
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Hay fever cases have more than doubled since this time last year, with a fivefold rise in cases in the past fortnight.
Experts say a rainy spring, with little frost, followed by early sunshine, has created optimum conditions for repeated high pollen levels - meaning Britain could face one of its worst hay fever seasons for years.
Pollen counts are currently very high in most parts of the UK, apart from Scotland, and forecast to remain medium to high for the rest of the week
New figures from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) reveal a huge spike in the number of patients seeing their GP because of symptoms of hay fever.
Almost 12,000 patients saw family doctors about the condition last week – more than twice as many as this time last year.
Doctors said the number is just a small proportion of the numbers struggling to cope with sneezing and itching, since most people would visit a chemist rather than a GP to seek help for the condition.
The season, which normally arrives in mid-June, came around a week early this year, with a long season now expected.
The figures show that last week 11,873 people in England and Wales visited their GP because of hay fever, compared with 5,560 people this time last year – a rise of 114 per cent.
Hay fever is estimated to affect one in five people, with children and young people worst affected.
Grass pollen is the most common cause, which tends to affect people from around May to July. Tree pollens tend to affect people from March to May and weed pollens from early spring to early autumn.
Symptoms include sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes, caused by the immune system reacting to the pollen. Cells on the lining of the nose and eyes release histamine and other chemicals, causing inflammation in the nose and eyes. Sometimes the sinuses and throat can also be affected.
Maureen Baker, chairman of the RCGP said: “Each year, seasonal hay fever causes untold misery to thousands of people across the country, especially when we all want to enjoy the warm weather.
“Hay fever is awful but the discomfort should only be temporary and there should be no long-term effects. Whilst in some cases it may be necessary to see a doctor, especially if the symptoms persist, there are many antihistamine medications that can be bought over the counter at your pharmacist that should provide effective relief.
"Patients that suffer from hay fever can also take simple steps to help minimise their exposure to pollen, such as wearing a hat with a wide brim and sunglasses, and to applying Vaseline to nostrils to help trap pollen particles.”
