HAY DAY
Don’t mistake hay fever for coronavirus symptoms, GPs warn
HAY fever sufferers should be careful not to mistake their allergy with coronavirus symptoms, GPs said today.
With hay fever season kicking off in the UK in mid-March, 13 million Brits who suffer with pollen allergies may have noticed they’ve started to get a runny nose, itchy throat and perhaps even a cough.
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And experts are warning that, amid the current pandemic, some people may mistake these symptoms for those of Covid-19.
And they are now urging people to learn the key differences, in order to keep yourself safe and rule out any unnecessary concerns.
Marc Donovan, 's Chief Pharmacist, said: “Hay fever symptoms are different to coronavirus.
"The most common symptoms of coronavirus are a high temperature and/or a new continuous cough.
"Sneezing is not a symptom of coronavirus and it's rare to have a runny or stuffy nose.
"Hay fever doesn’t cause a high temperature and most people don’t feel unwell.
"Typical hay fever symptoms include sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, itchy red watery eyes or an itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears."
The Royal College of GPs urged sufferers to consider whether their symptoms are the same as in previous years.
But it has also expressed concern that people may leave the house thinking they have just got the seasonal illness when they have actually contracted the deadly virus.
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Top tips on how to prevent hay fever
Boots' Chief Pharmacist Marc Donovan shares his top tips on how to how to manage common hay fever symptoms so you can make the most of the warmer spring weather...
- Try applying Vaseline to the inside of your nose, it works as a barrier and can trap pollen before breathing it in.
- An allergy barrier nasal spray is great for deterring pollen too. To really feel the benefit, try using it for two weeks before your symptoms usually begin.
- When you’re in and out of the garden, wear wraparound sunglasses to help prevent pollen from getting in and irritating your eyes.
- After spending time outdoors, try and make time to have a shower to wash away any stray pollen on your hair and skin, and put all clothes straight in the wash.
- Avoid hanging your washing outside as the pollen in the air can cling to your clean clothes and linger on the materials.
- Keep your eye on the Met Office website daily so you can monitor the pollen forecast, you can now also opt in to receive handy push notifications via the app.
- Certain times of day have higher pollen levels, typically the first half of the morning and later in the afternoon and evening, so taking a one-a-day allergy relief tablet in the morning will help protect you when you need it most. Around midday is a time where pollen count is at its lowest, so take this opportunity to pop out to the garden for some fresh air and to perhaps eat lunch, this will also help you get a healthy dose of Vitamin D.
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Dr Jonathan Leach, of the RCGP, said: "For most people who have hay fever it is the same symptoms as they have each year.
"What we are finding is that some patients are saying 'look this is a different thing to what I had last year, could this be coronavirus?' and in that case it might be."
More than a quarter of the British population gets hay fever every year and the Met Office has forecast high pollen counts throughout this week for most parts of the UK.
They say that tree pollen is at a high risk during the dry, sunny weather - with temperatures set to hit 24C by the end of this week.
Boots UK's Chief Pharmacist Mr Donovan has pointed out that there are plenty of things you can do to prevent hay fever when the pollen count is high.
He said: "You'll be inside most of the time so that will help, especially if you keep your windows and doors shut as much as possible.
"If you do go outside in your garden, then try showering and changing your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off.
"Also wearing wrap around sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes will help too.
"If you have hay fever and you need treatment to help relieve the symptoms you can go to your local Boots pharmacy to get over the counter medicines - this is as long as you don't have symptoms of the coronavirus."
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He adds: "Certain times of day have higher pollen levels, typically the first half of the morning and later in the afternoon and evening, so taking a one-a-day allergy relief tablet in the morning will help protect you when you need it most.
"Around midday is a time where pollen count is at its lowest, so take this opportunity to pop out to the garden for some fresh air and to perhaps eat lunch, this will also help you get a healthy dose of Vitamin D."
For half of Brits who get hay fever, deadly asthma attacks are a real threat - triggered by pollen.
Asthma UK are now urging sufferers to make sure they take their medication as prescribed alongside their usual hay fever medicines to reduce their risk.
Jessica Kirby, Head of Health Advice at , told The Sun Online: “A high pollen count could put people with asthma at risk of a potentially life-threatening asthma attack.
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"An estimated 3.3 million people with asthma say that pollen triggers their asthma symptoms, leaving many wheezing and struggling for breath.
“With warm spring weather causing tree pollen levels to rise, we are advising everyone with asthma who suffers from hay fever to make sure they take their asthma medicines as prescribed alongside their usual hay fever medicines to reduce the risk of hay fever triggering an asthma attack.”
GPs are also advising patients who are unsure or who are having trouble breathing that they should phone their doctor or use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service.
Hay fever expert Dr Glennis Scadding gives her best advice for beating symptoms
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