Asthma misery as pollen hits Canberra early

Asthma sufferer Caitlin Ross has had an early attack. She never leaves home without her EpiPen injection device and her asthma puffer. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong

There's been a jump in the amount of pollen in the air in Canberra two weeks earlier than usual, and it has caused an outbreak of asthma and hayfever attacks for people who were unprepared for the early hit.

Readings of the pollen count show it jumping in the middle of July instead of the usual hike at the beginning of August.