THERE’S trouble ahead for many hay fever sufferers as the summer is here and temperatures are on the rise.
But actually how bad is it? Here’s today’s pollen count and how you can protect yourself.
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What’s the pollen count today in the UK?
It has been a tough period for hay fever sufferers – with pollen levels soaring across the country lately but sufferers have had a some reprieve lately with the cooler temperatures.
In much of the UK there was only a moderate to low level of pollen.
Lower levels were recorded along the outskirts of the country.
London holds only a moderate risk for the next three days.
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What can hay fever sufferers do?
To try and combat the effects of hay fever, you can try a number of things:
- Put Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen
- Wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes
- Shower and change your clothes after you’ve been outside to wash the pollen off
- Stay indoors whenever possible
- Keep windows and doors shut as much as possible
- Vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth
- Buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car and a vacuum cleaner with a special HEPA filter
In times of high pollen, do not cut grass or walk in grassy areas, do not keep fresh flowers in your home, smoke or dry clothes outside as they can catch pollen.
How can I track the pollen count?
There are two ways which might be useful for hay fever sufferers to track periods of high pollen.
The Met Office issues a five day pollen forecast which monitors the pollen count across the UK which you can find here.
Tech-savvy hay fever sufferers can also download the Hay Fever Relief app which can alert you to the daily pollen count updates as well as give you an expert treatment plan and allow you to track your symptoms.
What time of the day has the highest pollen count?
A pollen count is generated by measuring the number of pollen grains in a given volume of air, using a pollen trap.
A count of 50 pollen grains or less is considered low, and a count of 1,000 pollen grains or more is considered high.
Pollen counts tend to be higher in early morning and late evening, although they can sometimes be high all day long.
If the grass is damp, the pollen peak will be later in the morning because the water evaporates before the pollen is released.
Pollen rises in the air during the day and then descends at night, as the air cools.
In rural areas, the evening peak tends to occur between 6pm and 9pm but in the city, where the air stays warmer for longer, the pollen descends later and levels tend to peak between 9pm and midnight or even later, which is why you may wake up sneezing in the night.
Sunny days favour higher pollen counts and rain tends to wash the pollen away, whereas on a cloudy day, pollen builds up only to be released on the next sunny day.
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