High temperatures cause hay fever hell for millions

Millions of hay fever sufferers endured the hottest day of the year so far, with Hurn at Bournemouth yesterday reporting temperatures of an incredible 29.7C – warmer than that of certain areas of India and the Caribbean over the weekend.

As much of the UK headed to the seaside or parks, or alternatively stayed at home to watch Andy Murray’s sensational Wimbledon triumph, perhaps little thought would have been given to the large section of the population struggling to control itchy eyes, watering noses and constant sneezing.
There are an estimated 15 million hay fever sufferers in the UK alone, and high temperatures like those witnessed over the weekend can prove chaotic and sometimes even deadly for those with allergies.

On Friday a spokesman for the Met Office warned: “Potentially we could be seeing a new maximum temperature for the year on Sunday. Some parts of the country could get 30C (86F). This will exceed the previous hottest temperature of 27.2C that was seen on June 30 at Heathrow. However, the pollen counts are going to be high and very high for most of the country over the weekend, so it is going to be quite agonising for some.”

However, the high temperatures are expected to now continue until at least the middle of July, and perhaps a lot longer. This of course follows a strangely cold spring and the wet, miserable summer witnessed last year.

The hot weather and dry, settled conditions will cause pollen levels to shoot up and result in misery for those suffering with hay fever. Due to wet, later spring this year, the warm weather now hitting the UK has resulted in a surge in plant growth. Through this week and continuing to next week, forecasters predict the pollen counts to be extremely high across the majority of the country and only the very north of Scotland will probably see any relief.

Pollen forecasts are a vital tool for anybody suffering with hay fever or other allergies, to strategise medications, treatment, and plan how best to minimise the effect of pollen on their health. The pollen count season usually runs from March to August, but can begin as early as January and end as late as November.

The pollen season is segregated into three areas:

. Tree pollen - late March to mid-May.
. Grass pollen - mid-May to July.
. Weed pollen - end of June to September.

Public health officials are now warning people to take extra precaution with the rising temperatures, with fears that the dangers go much further than just a runny nose or itchy eyes.

In fact The Local Government Association states that for each additional degree above 25C, there could be 75 more fatalities; mostly young children and the elderly. A heat wave during 2003 claimed the lives of approximately 2,000 people, and there a fears the same situation could occur a decade on.

Zoe Patrick, chair of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, said: “British summers are notoriously unpredictable and so with a few sunny weeks forecast we can all look forward to enjoying the fine weather for a change. Sadly there are some people for whom the temperatures will make life a little more difficult. The hundreds of deaths caused by extreme heat each year are avoidable. Councils are determined to reduce the toll as much as possible, but they cannot do it alone. Local people can make a massive difference by helping us identify other residents who might need some advice or practical help.”

Medical Specialists Pharmacy offer a wide range of medicines  to treat allergies such as hay fever including Loratadine – a non-drowsy antihistamine which can provide relief from the symptoms of hay fever and Nasonex nasal spray – 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.

‘Dust mite avoidance and diet modification’ could cut childhood asthma risk

The 24-year old ‘hygiene hypothesis’ has been put into serious doubt this week after new research has suggested this theory is purely a myth.

First proposed back in 1989, the idea behind the hygiene hypothesis is that if there is childhood exposure to allergens and certain infections, this can aid the immune system’s development and teach it to differentiate between harmful and harmless substances, and thus reducing a child’s risk of developing asthma and allergies.

However, Professor Hasan Arshad, a consultant in allergy at Southampton General Hospital, has conducted a 23-year study that may somewhat discredit this theory, finding that mothers can help to massively reduce the risk of their baby developing asthma in their first year of life by avoiding certain allergenic foods and doing their best to tackle and kill house dust mites – tiny creatures that inhabit bedding, carpets, clothing and soft furnishings. It is their waste droppings and not the mite itself that triggers an allergy. House dust mite allergy is common and has been found to be linked to asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis.

Professor Arshad spoke on the study, commenting: “Although genetic links are arguably the most significant risk factor for asthma in children, environmental factors are the other critical component. Although this was a small study, we have found that the risk of developing asthma at some point during childhood is reduced by more than 50 per cent if we introduce control of a child’s environment.”

For the 23-year study, the researchers began to track 120 people born in 1990 and who had a family history of allergies – either both parents had asthma, or just one and a sibling.

It was discovered that 58 of the people in the study had either been breastfed or had drank low-allergy formula milk until they had reached the age of nine months. In addition, their mothers had not consumed any dairy products, eggs, soya, fish and shellfish and peanuts and tree nuts. For these same people, they had benefited from a vinyl bed cover at this young age and pesticides were also used to kill dust mites. Parents of the other 62 children were not so strict and did not adhere to the same principles.

Follow-up tests were carried out when the children had reached the ages of two, three, four, eight and 18. It was discovered that 11% of those in the prevention group had asthma by the time they had reached 18. However, more than a quarter (27%) of those exposed to possible allergens had developed asthma in the same time-frame.

Professor Arshad says: “By introducing a combined dietary and environmental avoidance strategy during the first year of life, we believe the onset of asthma can be prevented in the early years and throughout childhood up to the age of 18. Our finding of a significant reduction in asthma using the dual intervention of dust mite avoidance and diet modification is unique in terms of the comprehensive nature of the regime, the length of follow-up and the size of the effect observed.” He now says that a larger-scale study is required to see if a similar result pattern is achieved.

Asthma is becoming increasingly prevalent in Britain and around the world, with 5.4 million people receiving treatment for the condition in the UK alone and an estimated one in every 11 children. The ‘Asthma and Allergies’ section of the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website has a huge range of prescription and non-prescription medications that can help with problems such as asthma and hay fever – with the latter becoming more prominent in the coming months as March is the start of the pollen season, lasting up until November.

Heatwaves caused by climate change could kill 11,000 by 2080

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) have released warnings this week that paint a bleak future for our children, grandchildren, and those of us who may still be around in the year 2080. They claim that by this year, the effects of global warming could cause heat-related fatalities to rise by up to 70% in the 2020s, and then sky-rocket to an astonishing 540% by 2080.

In just 68 years’ time climate change could cause catastrophic heatwaves that will result in 11,000 deaths each year, up from the current figure of around 2,000. The people who are succumbing to high temperatures at the moment are primarily the elderly and vulnerable who may struggle to cool themselves down.

The HPA say that the old and those confined to hospital beds will find it difficult to cope by 2080 with expected temperature increases of 10C across towns and cities. It is believed that temperatures may peak at a staggering 40C (104F) in London during the summer seasons. Those with lung or heart disease are particularly at high risk.

HPA chairman Dr David Heymann spoke on the issue and said, “There is no doubt that climate change poses a wide range of challenges to public health in the UK. From increased risks of heatwaves through to potentially greater exposure to air pollution, indoors and outdoors, and potential changes to established pollen seasons, there are many issues, all of which need further research and attention if we are to adapt to or mitigate the effects.”

The ‘potential changes’ Dr Heymann refers to will have a direct impact on those with hay fever specifically who will see their suffering extended due to an earlier start to the pollen season, and it will then finish at a later month than usual. Dr Heymann continued, “We are confident that this report will provide all government departments with the further information they need to properly prioritise areas for future work and protect the UK public from the significant looming health challenges that climate change presents.”

More misery is expected for hay fever sufferers in the form of an allergenic form of pollen with more potency due to grass flowering earlier on in the year. On top on this, ragweed, a plant that emanates from the U.S., is likely to become prominent across the south in Britain. Professor Roy Kennedy of the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit has claimed that the ragweed can emit millions of pollen grains and cause a flare-up in symptoms for those with hay fever as well as asthma in people who have never even suffered with the lung condition previously.

However, it gets worse. Presently, effective medication such as Malarone is used for the prevention and treatment of Malaria, first taken 1-2 days before travelling to various tropical and subtropical countries that are at high risk of the disease. In 2080 though, the risks may be a little closer to home!

By this point, increasing temperatures may result in Brits contracting exotic illnesses in their own country as new species of mosquito carrying tropical diseases such as dengue fever and chikungunya could migrate north and over to the UK, causing chaos for millions. If this occurs then Medical Specialists can expect an even bigger surge in enquiries about Malarone after already being inundated with many requests during 2012.

The HPA have now advised the government to take the warnings seriously and consider improvements in infrastructure so that all homes and hospitals are better able to manage with the soaring temperatures.