If the pollen count is high, even a normal walk in the park can trigger symptoms of hay fever, writes Martin Ryan
WHILE THE recent warm weather might be welcomed by most people, for the estimated 15 per cent of the population who suffer from hay fever, it can bring some unpleasant side effects.
The condition is caused by an allergic reaction to pollen and its effects can be quite serious at the extreme end of the scale.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that pollen is produced in such copious quantities in grasses, trees or weeds and that it is easily dispersed by winds. For potential sufferers it is difficult to escape the effects of hay fever at certain times of the year when pollen is plentiful.
The symptoms of Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis - the condition's technical title - can vary greatly in the extent to which they affect people. Dr Joe Fitzgibbon of the Galway Clinic, a private hospital in Galway, deals with many who suffer from this allergy and says there can be quite a degree of malaise associated with the problem.
"While we associate mild symptoms such as runny nose and itchy eyes with the condition, it also irritates pre-existing eczema and it is important to acknowledge that it is a fever.
Symptoms go from the level of minor irritation to a quite debilitating level where people are unable to work," he says.
He draws a distinction between those who react to different types of pollen. "Some people have problems in the spring with tree pollen while those who suffer from grass pollen are susceptible from the end of May until the end of August. For people who are severe sufferers over that period of time, it is a serious matter," he says.
"The common treatments are eye drops, nasal spray and oral antihistamines. The spray that is recommended is a steroid and takes some time to work so people need to be patient.
"This should not be confused with the average nasal decongestant which causes a rebound effect and will make the problem worse in the long run. In the case of the antihistamine which usually can be got over the counter, people should go for a non-sedating option," he says.
He says immunotherapy treatments are quite popular in North America and Europe. "These involve identifying the specific pollens which cause the allergic reaction and immunising people against them. It can require a number of treatments but it is very effective and worth considering for those who are persistent sufferers," he says.
For those at risk, prevention is naturally better than treatment and a critical factor for any potential hay fever sufferer is an awareness of the pollen count. If the pollen count is high, even a normal walk in the park can be fraught with risks of unpleasant side effects.
The level of pollen in the air is determined largely by the weather and the recent good weather in Ireland has raised awareness of the problem.
The pollen count is influenced by species of plant pollinated by wind and not by insects, according to Steve Waldron, lecturer in botany at Trinity College,
"Essentially we are looking at grasses as the main culprit but it is also evident in trees. For example, I notice a high level of birch pollen at the moment which can be seen from a yellow scum that accumulates on water pools nearby," he says.
He says the problem is aggravated in summer by movement of machinery in meadows and parks which further facilitates the dispersion of pollen.
"The other big factor in raising the pollen count is the weather with the bright, dry spell in recent weeks being especially conducive to high pollen. Rain washes down the pollen but we haven't had much of that lately so I would say it is a particular problem at the moment," he says.
He also says that as someone who suffered greatly with the condition when he was young, he is still very aware of the symptoms.
"At certain times I can still be in a little bit of trouble with it myself and while people respond differently I would say that I have noticed mild evidence of being affected recently so for those who suffer badly the conditions are there at the moment to create problems," he says.
Met Éireann provides a daily forecast for those concerned about the pollen count, One of its forecasters, Michael McAuliffe, says: "In the same way that those concerned with the effects of the sun put pressure on for a sunburn index, it became important for groups affected by pollen-related allergies to look for pollen count information.
"We do not directly measure or collate the information ourselves. Initially we took information from the botany department at Trinity College which measured such things, but at the moment we get the pollen count detail from the National Pollen Aerobiology Research unit at the University of Worcester in Britain," he says.