The north west of England looks set to see high pollen counts this week, according to the Met Office.
The pollen count monitoring network, which combines both Met Office weather data with expert advice and data from organisations like the National Pollen and Aerobiological Unit, has produced a pollen forecast for the next five days.
Here in the north west of the country, the week ahead will see moderate to high levels of pollen, so for those of us with pollen allergies, allergy tablets/antihistamines and tissues should probably be kept close by for the next few days.
The forecast is as follows:
Monday (May 9) - High
Tuesday (May 10) - Moderate
Wednesday (May 11) - Moderate
Thursday (May 12) - Moderate
Friday (May 13) - High
The Met Office also details specific types of pollen, stating that "tree pollen currently includes oak, birch and a little grass pollen", adding that spores are "limited".
What does this mean?
According to the Met Office, the type of pollen in the air will be different depending on the time of year. There are some 30 different types of pollen that can cause allergies and things such as hay fever and it is quite possible to be allergic to more than one type.
The Met Office says: "Most people are allergic to grass pollen, which is common in late spring and early summer. Tree pollen tends to be released during spring and affects around 25% of people.
"Weed pollen can be released at any time from the early spring to the late autumn. Hay fever symptoms usually appear when the pollen count, which is a measure of the number of grains of pollen in one cubic metre of air, exceeds 50.
"The weather conditions affect how much pollen is released and spread around. On humid and windy days, pollen spreads easily but on rainy days, pollen can be cleared from the air. On sunny days, the pollen count is highest in the early evening and that's when you are most likely to suffer from hay fever symptoms."
Pollen is made up of tiny particles which are released by trees and plants as part of their reproductive cycle. It's an extremely fine powder spread by the wind and also insects and can cause significant irritation and inflammation in people who are allergic to it.
For those with an allergy, pollen triggers an antibody called 'immunoglobulin E', which creates mucus and leads to congestion and sneezing - sound familiar?
