If you’ve found yourself reaching for the tissues more than usual recently, you’re not alone. The sun has shown its face a bit, and thanks to the arrival of a tree pollen bomb, which occurs when groups of trees release millions of grains of pollen at the same time, many of us are trading the joys of spring for itchy eyes and streaming noses.
According to Margaret Kelman, acting head of clinical services at Allergy UK, the number of people affected by hay fever has trebled in the last 30 years, with the condition now affecting one in four adults in the UK. “Climate change, including increased air pollution, has contributed to more intense pollen seasons,” she says. “Warmer weather speeds up the growing process, causing pollen seasons to start earlier and last longer.”
