Volvo battle against hay fever with radical new cars

Car manufacturer Volvo, already have a well-established reputation for quality cars and the company has witnessed a massive growth in the past decade especially. The Swedish company were once more known for safety above aesthetics and style, but in recent years, the manufacturers have carved themselves a fabulous reputation for good-looking, affordable cars. Now they have turned more of their attentions to the medical aspects of the vehicles.

In a bid to help the estimated 10 million people suffering from hay fever in the UK, Volvo have made the applaudable decision to include either an Air Quality System (AQS) or Pollen Filter, as standard in any model of its cars.

An AQS operates by examining the levels of particles from incoming air, via the use of an interior air quality sensor. If it detects that levels of air inside the vehicle may become hazardous to the driver (i.e. the car in front giving off toxic carbon monoxide), it can immediately shut off the air intake. This happens without the driver having to do anything whatsoever.

This revolutionary idea, combined with the pollen filters that will be equipped in the ventilation system, always guarantee the driver will be enjoying much cleaner air at all times inside his or her car in comparison to that outside the car.

Nick Connor, managing director of Volvo Car UK, spoke out on how the new technology with be advantageous to hay fever sufferers on the road and said, “Now that some warmer weather has arrived, albeit a few months late, it’s worth reminding drivers that a Volvo has been designed from the outset to keep the causes of hay fever at bay whilst in the car. As well as the health aspects of not breathing in pollen, ozone and hydrocarbons, the safety benefits associated with a driver avoiding long bouts of sneezing, whilst driving at speed on a motorway shouldn’t be underestimated. Hay fever suffering company car drivers should find particular solace in driving a Volvo.”

The good news comes at a time when the NHS Direct have recently stated they have experienced a 20% surge in extra telephone calls from those suffering with hay fever. NHS Direct also warn drivers that being on the road between 5am and 10am is the most dangerous period of the day for aggravating their hay fever symptoms due to more pollen being released from trees and grass in those five hours compared to the rest of the day.

Volvo’s pioneering move will now hopefully prove effective in increasing the safety for those drivers with hay fever, and other people on the roads. There are obvious major benefits to be seen when drivers can avoid sneezing at the wheel from the result of hay fever. Imagine if somebody had a sneezing fit from unhealthy air entering their car and triggering symptoms. It is not unthinkable to suggest that this momentary lapse in concentration may prove fatal.

What exactly is hay fever though you may ask? Well, hay fever is caused by an allergy to pollen. Usual characteristics include a runny, itchy and/or blocked nose, frequent sneezing and itchy/red/watery eyes. Whilst the symptoms of hay fever may be mild, unfortunately they can interfere with your school or work life, and effect your day to do activities, including your ability to drive. Even worse – if you have asthma, the asthma symptoms you experience may get worse when you have hay fever. Sometimes, asthma symptoms only come to prominence when you have hay fever. The best method of combating both conditions is to speak to a health professional that can help you to formulate an action plan.  This will help manage your symptoms, and avoid potential triggers.
Moreover, you should always make sure you have more than an adequate supply of important hay fever medications such as Nasonex nasal spray, Loratadine and Alomide eye drops, and for asthma – vital preventer and reliever inhalers.

Middle aged and never suffered from hay fever? Why that could change

Many of us presume that because we have reached maybe our 30’s, 40’s or 50’s and have never suffered from hay fever that we can safely assume that we will never suffer from it.

However a growing number of middle aged people who have never suffered before from an allergic reaction to pollen before, are discovering for the first time this year the misery of a constantly runny nose, itchy streaming eyes and a prickly throat that just won’t clear.

“Each year my colleagues and I see more and more middle aged men and older patients coming to our clinics for the very first time”, says Dr Suraniith Seneviratne, a consultant in clinical immunology and allergy at The Royal Free Hospital in London.

Dr Seneviratne went on to add: “The idea that allergies affect only young people is I’m afraid, a bit of a myth.” Around 26 per cent of the adult population (12million people) suffer from allergic rhinitis, a term which covers all kinds of reactions to allergens, including hay fever. However al least a third of those (more than four million) are between the ages of 45 to 65 according to research company Datamonitor Healthcare, and according to experts that is set to rise.

There are three main factors that are claimed to be behind this, with the first being our washed out summer that experts claim has created a perfect storm for hay fever.

According to Patrick Suchon health business manager at the Meteorological Office: “Grass pollen, which is thought to cause 90 per cent of all hay fever, has had a bumper season. The heavy rain has created a particularly lush crop of grasses this year and while the rain dampens down the pollen count, when it stops and the sun comes out as it did last week; the pollen count goes very high, very quickly, as the plants make the most of the sunshine. Another issue is that because of the wet damp weather, mould spores which come from fungi such as mushrooms and decaying vegetation, which usually don’t appear until very late summer and early autumn, are being released early.”

The second factor claimed to be behind developing hay fever late in life is the fact that our immune system can start to show signs of wear and tear as we get older. As we get older our immune system can start to become compromised by illness, long term stress or simply through ageing.

Lindsey McManus, deputy chief executive of the charity Allergy UK says: “A weak immune system doesn’t mean you will get hay fever, but it could mean that you are more susceptible to it. We hear from people for whom hay fever becomes a problem after a severe illness or a run of nasty viruses or bugs.”

According to Professor Roy Kennedy of the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, the third reason causing people to develop hay fever later on in life is the introduction of new allergens.
Professor Kennedy explains: “There are a lot of new species of plant being introduced in the UK. For example ragweed, which came from America and is now spreading throughout Europe, is a highly allergic plant producing very high rates of pollen. Added to this ragweed produces more pollen in wet years.”

There are a number of medicines available to treat hay fever including Loratadine, a non-drowsy antihistamine which can provide relief from the symptoms of hay fever, Nasonex nasal spray which is a nasal corticosteroid spray for the relief of congestion, sneezing, itching and a runny nose. Prevalin is another nasal spray that lines the inside of your nose and actually deactivates the pollen, and finally there’s Alomide allergy eye drops that can bring relief from red, itchy, watery and puffy eyes if used regularly.

Medical Specialists is an online pharmacy established since 1994 that can provide prescription hay fever medication such as Nasonex, following a simple online consultation with one of our in house Doctors. Our resident Pharmacists will then dispense and post out your medications for next day delivery.

Following the recent expansion of our chemist shop, we now offer the previously mentioned products; Prevalin allergy nasal spray, Prevalin allergy kids nasal spray and Alomide allergy eye drops, which can all help to ease the symptoms of hay fever.

The New York childhood asthma rate is more than US national average

Statistics released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that an average of one in eight New York City children have been diagnosed with asthma. This means that the prevalence rate is higher than the US national average for childhood asthma, which is currently about one in ten.

Thomas Matte, assistant commissioner for environmental surveillance and policy, commented on the findings and said, “New York City’s rate on average is higher, but then within the city we know the rate varies dramatically. Our rate is really pulled up by the high rates in poor neighbourhoods.”

Matte gives his opinions on why this is so, and says that households with lower income will probably have more possible asthma triggers such as mould, pest infestations, and the chemicals in cigarette smoke can irritate the lungs. The links between tobacco smoke and lung conditions such as asthma is a topic Medical Specialists Pharmacy previously reported earlier this year, and we advise that asthma suffers must have their reliever inhaler in their possession at all times, especially when there is a risk of being in the presence of somebody who smokes.

He further advises that written instructions for children and parents would be an effective method of managing their asthma.  According to the CDC survey, only one in three children using medication for asthma was actually doing this.

It is calculated that children residing in East Harlem are almost 13 times more likely to require asthma-related hospital treatment in comparison to counterparts living in the Upper East Side. The same report claims that 18% of Hispanic children and 17% of black children have been diagnosed with asthma, and just 5% of white children.

Dr Joshua Needleman, a paediatric pulmonologist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, says Doctors are already aware of the trends that the report highlights, saying, “You find asthma all over the place, but the kids in the poor areas is where you see the most burden.”

With soaring temperatures currently gripping the US, child and adult asthma sufferers in both poor and wealthy areas will no doubt see their symptoms worsen, and this will apply to those who have hay fever too. Days with high humidity or pollution can especially cause problems for asthma sufferers and this can be dangerous if left untreated. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) have said, “Although symptoms may not always be severe, summertime allergies and asthma are serious and, in some cases, deadly.”

At Medical Specialists Pharmacy we offer our patients a huge range of medications to help both asthma and allergy sufferers, all at great prices. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. After undergoing a private and confidential online consultation with one of our Doctors, if you are suitable they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice. We have both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol cheaper than the NHS, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone, Qvar Easi-Breathe and Pulvinal Beclomethasone.

An effective treatment for allergic rhinitis (hay fever) is Nasonex nasal spray. Available with or without a prescription, Nasonex is a medication used to help with congestion, sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, and nasal itching due to allergies. It is also prescribed for nasal polyps (small, non-cancerous growths on the lining inside the nose). Prices of this medication are from as little as £9.98 per pack. Our chemist shop has now been expanded to include products such Prevalin allergy nasal spray, Prevalin allergy kids nasal spray and Alomide allergy eye drops, which can all help to ease the symptoms of hay fever.

GPs inundated with trivial complaints

A new campaign has been launched to encourage people to seek help from their local pharmacy for less serious problems and ailments rather than taking a trip to visit their GP for trivial complaints about colds and dandruff. The National Self Care Forum are urging more self-care and management after latest NHS statistics show that a fifth of visits to GPs are unnecessary and are wasting doctors’ time, which could be spent dealing with more serious issues and this is causing a massive backlog for doctors.

Dr Paul Stillman, a GP in Crawley, West Sussex, and a member of the National Self Care Forum, said “What we think so far is that patients tend to use the same source of advice whatever the symptoms. So they’ll either go to their GP for everything, or always go to their pharmacist, or phone NHS Direct. We want to test this theory on a larger number of people to try and identify ways of getting them to alter their behaviour.”

Stephanie Varah, the chief executive of the National Association for Patient Participation, is the patient champion for the national Self Care Forum. She backed up Dr Stillman’s comments and said, “Empowering individuals to access and understand appropriate information that supports shared and informed decision making about treatment, self-care and lifestyle choices is key to helping people understand how they can better look after themselves.”

The NHS survey was conducted by analysing records from more than 200 GP surgeries around the country. Common complaints include problems such as blocked noses and dandruff. Of the 51.4 million GP visits across both England and Wales, this is equating to 5.2 million that could have easily been avoided if patients had maybe tried effective over the counter products that do not require a prescription from their doctor.


It was calculated that a staggering 40,000 people see their doctor because they are concerned about dandruff. Nizoral Anti-Dandruff shampoo and Neutrogena T-Gel Therapeutic shampoo are just two products patients can buy to combat dandruff, without ever needing to take a trip to their doctor and both wasting their time and the doctors’. The survey also revealed that 20,000 people take the time to see their GP about travel sickness. A simple search on the internet might have helped to reveal that inexpensive products such as Kwells or Avomine are highly effective in helping with this problem – and neither requires a prescription!

In addition, Medical Specialists Pharmacy is currently seeing a huge number of patients purchase products from our chemist shop for nasal problems. As we reported earlier this month, the hay fever season looks set to last longer than usual and this has resulted in many people stocking up on Loratadine tablets, which can help with annoyances such as skin rashes, sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose and itching. These are all common problems that have helped amass the 5.2 million needless GP visits.  We have also seen a surge in the requests for Nasonex nasal spray to help treat sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, and nasal itching due to allergies (known medically as allergic rhinitis). This can be obtained following a private and confidential online consultation with one of our doctors.