With good weather comes high levels of pollen. The good months of Irish weather can be a hindrance for sufferers of hay fever and Met Éireann is forecasting soaring temperature this week.
Dr Iseult Sheehan is an allergy doctor and clinical director of Allergy Ireland, a highly specialised and resourced allergy clinic in Dublin.
“Hay fever is when your immune system misinterprets a harmless substance like pollen as being a threat, as a result, you develop an immune response and that’s where we see the symptoms,” she said.
Read more: Met Eireann forecasts huge temperature upswing on Wednesday as summer returns
Dr Sheehan lists an itchy nose and eyes, a runny or blocked nose, sinus symptoms, and exasperation of pre-existing conditions like asthma or eczema as the main symptoms of hay fever.
According to Dr Sheehan, 80% of people that present to their doctor with hay fever complain of fatigue.
She said: “Fatigue and even mood changes like depression and anxiety are symptoms as well, your body is in overdrive, it’s like having a head cold all of the time, it’s not that hay fever directly causes depression or anxiety, but if you are vulnerable to those it definitely can bring it on.”
Weather
Different pollens can cause hay fever. Tree pollen season is from the end of February until the end of May, grass pollen season is from May to the middle of July, and weed pollen from plants like nettle and ragweed is active from mid-June to September, according to Dr Sheehan.
“Perfect conditions (for hay fever) would be a warm sunny day where there is a light breeze, and where there is no rain, rain is good news because it washes the pollen out of the air,” she said.
Dr Sheehan credits Ireland's high levels of hay fever sufferers with the amount of grass as well as perfect the weather conditions here for high pollen count.
“We are seeing with climate change that we’re getting more prolonged hay fever seasons because of the increase in temperature and mild winters, so that definitely isn’t helping,” she said.
Treatment
Two long-form treatment options are available for hay fever, immunotherapy and UV therapy, both of which Dr Sheehan carries out at Allergy Ireland.
Immunotherapy is similar to vaccination, according to Dr Sheehan and is underutilized in Ireland.
“Immunotherapy is very effective in children and adults. We give a tiny modified version of pollen in a tablet form which are taken on a daily basis for three to five years and you gradually build up a tolerance.” She said.
This treatment is available for grass pollen, tree pollen and dust mite. Rhinolight is another long-term option which uses UV phototherapy directly within the nose, “it’s essentially desensitizing inside your nose to what you’re allergic to.”
Those in the mild category of hay fever suffering might find over-the-counter medications like antihistamines or nasal sprays sufficient during times of high pollen count.
“If it’s just for a few weeks of the year and it means you can get out and do normal things, that’s absolutely fine.” She said.
However, for those who find themselves using medications for prolonged periods or in some cases all year round, that’s where long-term treatments like rhinolight or immunotherapy come into play, according to Dr Sheehan.
Tips
Allergies, in general, are on the rise, according to Dr Sheehan, the “hygiene hypothesis” is one theory for the increase. The theory is that living conditions in some cases have become too clean leading to a lack of exposure to germs which train our immune systems in differentiating between harmful and harmless irritants like pollen.
Keeping an eye on the pollen count is one tip for managing symptoms of hay fever, according to Dr Sheehan, “close the windows in your home or car, avoid grassy areas and don’t put your clothes on the line,” she explained.
Masks that we have become accustomed to during the pandemic can also help as well as wraparound sunglasses. A bit of Vaseline in each nostril can also be effective in trapping pollen before it enters the nose.
Dr Sheehan said: “If you’re out and about and come home feeling miserable, shower, wash your hair and change your clothes because the pollen is still on you.”
Dr Sheehan’s main message is to see your GP or an allergy clinic, “there’s no point in feeling miserable when there are things that can be done.”
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