Conditions

Allergies

It’s summertime, the temperature’s rising and the sun’s shining. It also means plants, trees, shrubs and flowers are in their prime, which can mean misery for some people.

According to Allergy UK, more than 44% of UK adults currently suffer from at least one allergy and the number of sufferers is on the rise. What’s more, 48% of sufferers have more than one allergy.¹

Allergies are extremely common, especially among children. Some allergies go away as children get older, although is possible for them to still have them in adulthood too.²

It’s possible for adults to become allergic to things they’ve never been allergic to before. Most allergic reactions are mild, e.g. sneezing, itchy eyes or a runny or blocked nose, can be kept under control through a combination of taking medication, using allergy relief products and keeping away from allergic triggers (if they’re known).

What allergies are worse in summer?

You may not realise this if you’re not an allergy sufferer, but allergies can be triggered all-year round, not just in the spring and summer months.^3,4

Allergies can become worse during the summer because it’s when mould and dust allergies tend to hit, alongside pollen and grass allergies, and this creates a whole concoction of allergens that trigger just one allergy or multiple allergies at the same time.

And because the summertime is when we tend to spend more time outdoors, mow our lawns and open our doors and windows, it can result in more people’s mould, dust and pollen allergies being triggered.

The vast majority of the time, summer allergies are caused by pollen from grass, which tends to pollinate more in the heat and reaches peak levels during the summer months.

And if the pollen levels are high, you can guarantee the number of people experiencing summer allergy symptoms are high too. It’s really common for people, especially children, to have an allergy

• Allergies are caused by substances called allergens
• Allergies can become worse in the summer because it’s when mould, dust, pollen and grass levels are high.

 

 

 

The months of May, June, July and August aren’t the best months for summer allergy sufferers.⁶

May:  While it’s possible for tree pollination to begin as early as February, it can last until May. Grass pollen can also start to emerge at this time of year too in some parts of the country.

June: June is a key grass pollen month. As the days get longer and the temperature gets higher, people head outside more.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, the temperature and rainfall amount, and even the time of day, will affect grass pollen levels, and your allergies.

July: Grass pollen does start to subside in July however, it’s also the start of fungus spores and seeds. If you’re allergic to moulds (from fallen leaves, compost piles, grasses and grains) and spores, then you may experience your allergies flaring up all over again.

August: While it may be eight months into the year, August is a prime month for people, who are allergic to mould spores, which peak during hot, humid weather.

You might want to stay inside on days when the mould spore count is particularly high. But on the up side, August is when grass pollen counts typically fall to zero.⁷

Summary

• Hot weather and some allergies are interlinked
• As the weather gets warmer, plants, weeds and flowers that give off pollen allergens grow bigger and disperse more pollen into the air
• May to August are among the worst months for summer allergy sufferers

It’s not possible to just simply put your life on hold when you’re in the thick of summer allergy season, but there are some measures you can follow to try and minimise exposure to your allergic triggers.

For instance, you can:

• Track pollen counts
• Keep your doors and windows closed to reduce the amount of pollen and mould that comes into your home
• Regularly wash your bedding and vacuum your carpets and rugs
• Shower and change your clothes as soon as you get in from being outside
• Make sure humidity levels don’t get too high in your house

Weleda Hayfever Relief – 20ml 

Weleda Hayfever Relief is a vegan-friendly, homeopathic medicinal product used within the homeopathic tradition for the symptomatic relief of hay fever and other forms of allergic rhinitis (allergy causing sneezing, blocked nose, itchy, red and watering eyes).

Adults, elderly and children over 12 years:

• Hold spray upright, a few centimetres from mouth.
• Apply 1 to 2 sprays into mouth up to three times daily.