The arrival of spring and summer weather will mean that barbecues will be fired up around the UK - but it's a nightmare for those who suffer from an allergy to pollen.
Around 18 million Brits are affected every year by hay fever, with itchy eyes and streaming noses causing problems on a daily basis in the warmer months. Usually, you'll be able to grab some Piriton to relieve some of the symptoms, but that isn't the case today. There's a shortage of hay fever tablets in the likes of Boots and Lloyds Pharmacy, the Mirror reports.
It's down to a shortage of chlorphenamine maleate, which is the active ingredient in Piriton and other hay fever remedies. As a result, any hay fever sufferers will be forced indoors to avoid being affected by a high pollen count. Other hay fever tablets are still available, along with Piriton syrups for children. Meanwhile, the UK Met Office has issued a high pollen warning for both today and tomorrow.
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Sarah Kent, a meteorologist at the Met Office, told The Telegraph: “Pollen levels will be high across much of the UK on Monday and Tuesday. At the moment it’s predominantly tree pollen, [but] grass season is just starting.
“You may start noticing symptoms more if you're sensitive to grass pollen.”
When pollen enters the body of a hay fever sufferer, it triggers the production of histamine, which then creates all those unwanted symptoms. That’s why anti-histamines can help. (But histamines are the things in the brain which keep us alert, attentive and awake, which is why anti-histamines can make you drowsy).
Allergy UK have provided some handy tips if you're a hay fever sufferer:
- Check pollen counts and avoid going outdoors when these are high.
- Shower when you get indoors and change clothes to remove the allergens.
- Avoid drying clothes on an outdoor washing line when pollen counts are high.
- Apply a nasal barrier to prevent pollen entering the nose.
- Keep windows closed when indoors – particularly early mornings and evenings when high amounts of pollen is in the air.
- Wipe pets’ coats with a damp microfibre cloth to remove pollens that collect on their fur when they have been out.
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