Millions Are At Risk For Deadly Asthma Attacks Over The Next Three Weeks As Pollen Counts Soar

Jun 16, 2018 by apost team

Bouts of rain followed by warmer temperatures makes pollen counts higher - which means the worst for those with hay fever allergies. 

A “very high” pollen counts for the next week means people with hay fever allergies will still be suffering runny noses and itchy eyes. 

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The warning that pollen levels will remain high comes from the Met Office. People in the South West, Wales, Midlands, and North West can expect very high levels, while high levels are expected for the South East, London, the North East, and Yorkshire. 

Only the South West of Scotland is getting hit with the very high pollen bomb. Most of Scotland is escaping its wrath. 

Everywhere except the East can expect an abnormally high pollen count from Wednesday. It should stick around until Saturday. Reprieve will come Saturday for most areas, with pollen counts dropping to moderate, forecasts stay. Only London and the South East are predicted to remain high. 

Both Scotland and Northern Ireland have escaped the pollen bomb with only moderate levels. All of the rain in the UK has caused the high pollen count by prompting the grass to grow more enthusiastically. 

The forecaster for pollen, Beverley Adams-Groom, says that it’s been the perfect storm: "We’ve had a perfect combination of weather to produce very high pollen counts, particularly grass pollen which affects about 95 per cent of hay fever sufferers.” 

Dr Jean Emberlin, from Allergy UK, says this is a nightmare scenario for hay fever sufferers. Occasional rain keeps grass growing, and warm days between rainy spells disperses pollen. "But if you have a very hot, dry summer the grass stops growing," she explains. Sufferers should be ready to take antihistamines in June, when grass pollen will be worst, Dr Emberlin warns. 

Rain would mean the pollen doesn’t have a chance to get airborne. But with the intermittent hot weather, June is the worst month for hay fever. 

After June, pollen counts should start dropping, until weed pollen and fungal spores start going airborne in late summer and autumn. The wet winter and warmer weather trends have meant a sharp uptick in pollen from trees and flowers. 

With this surge, deadly asthma attacks have become a real threat. Around 80 percent of asthma sufferers say their symptoms are worse when pollen counts are high. 

Nurse manager at Asthma UK, Sonia Munde, warns that 3.3 million people with asthma in the UK are triggered by pollen. Asthma sufferers should expect not only itchy eyes and a running nose, but an increased risk for a life-threatening asthma attack. 

Anyone with both hay fever and asthma, she warns, should be sure to take antihistamines, nasal steroid sprays, and keep their preventer inhaler with them to ward off any attacks. Stephen Hannan, a director at Optical Express, suggests people protect their eyes, too. He suggests wraparound sunglasses and eyedrops to protect your vision while outside, and to ditch contact lenses for glasses when the pollen count gets too high. 

How have you been coping with the month’s high pollen counts? Show this article to your friends and tell them all about your pollen war stories!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!