To find todays pollen count use this link . . .

http://www.britishinformation.com/pollen-count/

 One of the best ways of treating  allergies permanently and without any side effects is Acupuncture at the Welwyn and Hatfield Practice. Some people respond very quickly and only need one treatment others two or three, depending on age and types of sensitivity levels to pollen.

There are no side effects as with traditional anti histamines that gradualy become less effective and cost a fortune over the years. There is also clear evidence that they may cause road accidents and hinder learning by children in school. The newer antihistamines work just as well and, at least at normal doses, have no proven measurable harmful effect on driving or learning. The older antihistamines have these harmful effects even in people who do not notice sleepiness from the tablets.

Hay Fever affects around 9 million people in the UK.

Avoiding Pollen

Plan important activities to avoid the pollen season
Plan your summer holiday in a country with less pollen, or at a time when you will not be disabled by hayfever. Otherwise, keep doors and windows shut during the high pollen season; this has a tremendous effect in lowering indoor pollen exposure.

If you drive a lot, putting an electrostatic air filter in the car’s ventilation system will probably help. This is simply a felt-like cloth with special fibres which have an electro static charge. all cars now being made have provision for putting such a filter into the air intake. An air-conditioned car may also be very good because of the air filtering which it provides.

• Avoid cutting grass, playing or walking in grassy areas, and camping.
• Wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes when you are outdoors.
• Change your clothes and take a shower after being outdoors to remove the pollen on your body.
• Try to stay indoors when the pollen count is high (over 50).
• Keep windows and doors shut in the house. If it gets too warm, draw the curtains to keep out the sun and keep the temperature down.
• Do not keep fresh flowers in the house.
• Vacuum regularly, ideally using a machine with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter.
• Damp dust regularly. Dusting with a wet cloth, rather than a dry one, will collect the dust and stop any pollen from being spread around.
• Keep pets out of the house during the hay fever season. If your pet does come indoors, wash it regularly to remove any pollen from its fur.
• Do not smoke or let other people smoke in your house. Smoking and breathing in other people’s smoke will irritate the lining of your nose, eyes, throat and airways, and can make your symptoms worse.
• Keep car windows closed. You can buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car. This will need to be changed every time the car is serviced
• Hayfever is caused by an allergy to pollen, particularly grass and tree pollen.
• Hay Fever usually peaks in the summer months of June until August, although the start of the hayfever season varies nationally.

 Hayfever and Allergy

Hay Fever is generally  an allergy to pollen but sufferers are usually allergic only to certain types of pollen.

This means  different people may be affected at different times of the year.

May work this way but varies each year. . .

- February to June time : tree pollen, either early flowering or late flowering trees.

- May – July - August: Mostly grass pollen

- August – September: nettle and weed pollen

Hay Fever sufferers may show some or all of the following symptoms:

• •Sneezing
• •Headaches
• •Watering eyes
• •Itchy, red eyes
• •Gritty feeling in the eyes
• •Blocked nose
• •Loss of smell or taste
• •Blocked sinuses (sinusitis)
• •Runny nose
• •Distrurbed sleep
• •Itchy ears

Summary of Hayfever and Allergy:

Pollen and Pollen Types

Pollen is essential in the reproduction of flowering trees and plants especially grass. It carries the male genetic information to the female part of the flower. Many plants, especially various trees and grasses, use the wind to carry their pollen. Hence, the wind is very important in determining the amount of pollen in the air.

Plants release vast quantities of pollen twice a day, early in the morning and late  afternoon,  wind can mix pollen back into the air at almost any time increasing the pollen count and worsen your symptoms.  The count can also depend on weather factors such as humidity and wind direction. Most of our flowering plants are insect  pollinated. This means that for these types of plants the pollen does not need to be dispersed by the wind. So they generally produce smaller quantities.

Its  spring time and the main problem for hay fever sufferers is tree pollen. Alder and Hazel can be as early as January followed by Elm, Willow and Ash in March. Pollen from these trees affects quite a small percentage of hay fever sufferers.  Pollen from Silver Birch trees is generally thought to be the most important tree pollen type. This usually occurs in April and affects about 25 – 30% of all hay fever sufferers. Birch is followed by the Oak in late April and early May !

Grass Pollen and Hayfever :

The most important pollen type for hay fever sufferers in the United Kingdom  is grass pollen, grass causes the highest proportion of allergic reaction  making many peoples lives sheer misery for a large part of the year.

Grass pollen starts in late May and continues throughout the summer  to mid August. It is at its highest  peak is in June then again a smaller peak, in early July. About 95% of hay fever sufferers are allergic to grass pollen. The amount of grass pollen in the air can differ greatly from day to day and even within days depending on weather factors.

Weed pollens and fungal spores can also be a common cause of hay fever and can affect us all year round.

Pollen Count           http://www.britishinformation.com/pollen-count/

The pollen count is a measure of the actual number of pollen grains of a certain type per cubic metre of air sampled, averaged over 24 hours. There  pollen monitoring network sites around the UK, all on the top of buildings. The reported counts are usually for birch, grass and nettles and refer to the previous 24 hours. The pollen counts show when the various seasons start and end as well as any day to day variation in the amount of pollen in the air.

The pollen count in the Midlands, for example, depends very little on wind direction. Winds from all directions bring pollen and counts are often the highest in the UK. One June the count in Derby was 1024. 150, or more, is considered very high!