The weather greatly influences the dispersion and distribution of pollen. Pollen count production depends heavily on photoperiod or the length of daylight. The pollen count would be higher if the temperature is warm, there is a light to moderate breeze, and there is lots of daylight. Trees and plants will release fewer pollen counts during cold or overcast spells.
Early in the spring, the pollen season begins with tree pollen, accompanied by grass pollen count by zip code in late May and throughout summer, and weed pollen, which peaks in June and July. Hay fever symptoms can be extremely uncomfortable, such as a runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, and a stuffy nose.
Ways to control hay fever
An allergic response to pollen, also called allergic rhinitis, often occurs when it encounters your face, nose, eyes, or throat. As part of their reproductive cycle, plants release pollen, a fine powder. Pollen includes proteins that can swell, irritate, and inflame the nose, eyes, throat, and sinuses.
From late March and early September, whenever the pollen count reaches its maximum, hay fever tends to be worse, especially on warm, windy days. When there is heavy pollution, especially when it is made worse by warmer weather, many people find that their hay fever symptoms worsen (Pollution molecules cling to pollen grains longer in the air and are more difficult to expel from your lungs because of this).
- Sneezing and coughing are typical hay fever symptoms, as are a runny, irritating, and plugged nose.
- Wet or itching eyes
- In contrast to a cold, which typically goes gone after 1 to 2 weeks, hay fever will continue for weeks or months.
Practical tips
- Wear a mask, wrap sunglasses, and a hat with a peak or wide-brimmed to keep pollen allergies out of your face and eyes. Among other practical advice for managing hay fever.
- To help stop pollen from entering the nose, rub an allergen barrier balm inside.
- Try nasal douching, which involves rinsing any irritants that may have become stuck within the nose after blowing it.
- Saline eye drops can help wash away any irritants that may aggravate the eyes and soothe sore eyes.
High pollen days
- When there is much pollen outside, shower, wash your hair, and change into fresh clothes when you get home.
- Keep windows closed, especially in the morning when the pollen count is first emitted and when the air becomes cooler at night.
- Steer clear of doing the raking or lawn mowing yourself.
- When there is a lot of pollen outside, avoid drying laundry.
- To remove pollen from pets, clean them with a moist cloth.
Hay fever treatment
Although there is currently no treatment for hay fever, and there is no way to prevent it, there are actions you can do to lessen your symptoms when there is a high pollen count.
With the help of over-the-counter medications from your neighborhood pharmacy, numerous hay fever symptoms can be managed. Ask your community pharmacist for recommendations.
- Steroid nasal sprays can ease watery eyes and help prevent or lessen inflammation in the nose’s lining.
- Antihistamines relieve symptoms such as a runny nose, coughing, itching, and watery eyes. Taking some antihistamines before the night is recommended because they make you sleepy. Children and those with milder hay fever symptoms or only sometimes present frequently choose the more recent antihistamines because they are less prone to cause drowsiness.
- To clear a blocked nose, decongestant nasal sprays & tablets are utilized. Never take them for longer than a few weeks at a time.
- Eye drops are a treatment option for watery or irritated eyes.
Who is impacted?
One of the more prevalent allergy diseases is hay fever. In England, hay fever is thought to affect over 10 million individuals.
Although it commonly starts in infancy or throughout the teen years, hay fever can strike at any age. Boys are more likely than females to have it. Adults of both sexes experience the effects in equal measure.
If you have a history of allergies in your family, especially asthma or eczema, you are more likely to get hay fever.
Self-help tips
By taking some simple precautions, such as using wraparound sunglasses to prevent pollen count by zip code from getting in your eyes while you’re outside, you may be able to prevent the signs of hay fever in some cases.
- Remaining indoors whenever the pollen count is high (above 50 grains for every cubic meter of air)
- Dabbing a little quantity of Vaseline on the nasal openings can trap pollen grains
- Having a shower & change your clothes after becoming outside to eliminate the pollen on your body
Complications
Hay fever can negatively affect an individual’s life quality even while it doesn’t pose a significant health risk. People who experience severe hay fever frequently discover that it can interfere with their performance at work or school.
Another typical symptom of hay fever is sinusitis, an infection of the sinuses. Hay fever can sometimes cause children to get otitis media (middle ear infection).
Contact the surgery
Consult the surgery if your symptoms worsen (i.e., turn mild to severe) or if they don’t go away after taking over-the-counter medication as prescribed by your neighborhood pharmacist.