Late-summer hay fever - why it happens and what you need to know from a top allergy doctor
17.08.2023 - 15:35
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
The late summer is bringing a few days of much-needed warmth, but that can pose a problem for people with allergies.
Different types of pollen are released in the summer, causing havoc for those with hay fever. Dr Susana Marinho, Consultant Allergist and Clinical Lead of the Allergy Service at Wythenshawe Hospital, has told the Manchester Evening News everything you need to know about hay fever in August and September.
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Hay fever, more appropriately named seasonal allergic rhinitis or rhinoconjunctivitis, is an allergic response to harmless substances, in this case pollen. It will affect people during the pollen season, which in the UK runs from February to September.
Different types of pollen are released in the UK throughout the year. Tree pollen is released in the spring, while grass and weed (such as mugwort) pollen appears in the summer.
Mould spores can also cause allergic rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms and are present throughout the year but with much higher counts in the summer and autumn. Hay fever is a common problem, affecting about 1 in 4 people in the UK, but is still underdiagnosed and inappropriately treated.
Symptoms can be mild to severe and include itching in the nose, eyes, roof of the mouth and ears, sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes and nasal blockage, which can severely affect people’s lives if not treated.
The best way to decrease hay fever symptoms is a combination of anti-allergy medication and some measures of pollen avoidance – we can’t really avoid it completely, says the doctor.
The internet is full of home remedies and tips for curing hay fever but the best way to manage your symptoms is to