A TEARY START TO THE EASTER BREAK AS APRIL IS SET TO BRING HAYFEVER HAVOC FOR 18 MILLION SUFFERERS

Brits will be pleased to hear that the recent balmy weather is set to continue in April – the perfect conditions for the long-awaited Easter break! But spare a thought for the 18 million hayfever sufferers who may be dreading the early start to the birch pollen season, which experts predict is due to hit parts of the UK this weekend and next week.

According to leading hayfever expert, Dr Jean Emberlin, the birch pollen season could start suddenly and she predicts it will begin during the first weeks of April in the South of England, Wales and the Midlands, progressing to the north of England and Scotland over the next two weeks.

She comments, “If there is a period of dry weather with some wind once the pollen is ready to leave the trees, the birch pollen counts will rise suddenly from low to high over a few days. Once the season has started, high or very high birch pollen counts will occur on warm, dry days with some wind and the season is likely to last about four weeks in each region.”

Caution should be taken for those hayfever sufferers planning a getaway to take advantage of the long bank holiday weekend, as nearly a third (30%) of people with the condition admit to experiencing watery eyes and 12% have suffered from blurred vision whilst driving which could be distracting, according to a survey by Opticrom Allergy Single Dose .

Dr Emberlin advises, “The first rule of driving is to keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times. However, this isn’t always possible for hayfever sufferers, as watering eyes can cause blurred vision whilst driving.

“For hayfever sufferers who are those looking to travel during the birch pollen season, your best bet is to head towards the North and West, especially coastal areas and in areas with little woodland. Avoid the cities and inland areas with forests as research has shown that birch pollen from urban areas is typically more allergenic than that from rural areas. Birch pollen counts can be very high in cities as many birch trees are planted in parks and streets. Air pollution can also alter the allergens on the birch pollen making it more potent.”

The birch pollen marks the start of the hayfever season which can cause misery for many sufferers until September. At present, Britain has one of the highest rates of hayfever in the world, with about 18 million people suffering from the rapid onset of irritating and uncomfortable symptoms including itchy, watering eyes, stuffy noses and sneezing.

Dr Jean Emberlin , leading pollen expert, shares her top tips on combatting hayfever this spring on behalf of :

• Up Your Vitamin B5 In-Take : Vitamin B5 can reduce allergic symptoms and can be found in salmon, avocados, yoghurt and sunflower seed
• Embrace Exercise: Exercise can improve your symptoms; however, choose an indoor activity for high pollen days
• Watch Your Stress Levels: It’s been shown that stress can increase the severity of hayfever symptoms
• Beware of Your Washing Line: Don’t hang washing outside on high pollen count days – the pollen will settle on your clothes and trigger symptoms
• Get The Right Treatment: Get the right treatment to control your symptoms, treatments such as eye drops, antihistamines and nasal decongestants can be very effective
• Know your allergy triggers: Keep a diary with notes about when and where your symptoms occur and match it against a pollen calendar – most people are allergic to grass pollen but you might be reacting to pollen from summer flowering trees, weeds or crops
• Try to avoid going out when the pollen count is high: On dry days, grass pollen counts are typically highest from early to mid-morning and from mid to late afternoon, as this is when most grasses release their pollen. In the middle part of the day, convection currents mix the air and dilute concentrations
• Avoid cutting the lawn: Although the short grass on lawns will probably not flower and release pollen, the sap from the cut grass will form aerosols containing grass allergens which could trigger your hayfever
• Wear wraparound sunglasses: If you suffer with itchy eyes it will help keep pollen out and use anti-allergy eye drops to alleviate the symptoms