Hay fever cases surge in England, visits to NHS website more than double

Hay fever symptoms can usually be managed at home or with medication widely available in community pharmacies

Cases of hay fever have increased significantly in the past week as temperatures rise across England.

According to NHS England, the number of patients visiting its hay fever page for advice has more than doubled in the past week.

The NHS website has been receiving an average of 11,736 visits a day since Monday, marking a 147 per cent increase compared to the weekend's average of 4,749 visits per day.

On Thursday (20 June), there were 14,978 visits to the hay fever page – equivalent to one visit every six seconds.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, noted that the onset of summer has led to an increase in pollen levels, resulting in discomfort for individuals suffering from hay fever.

Hay fever usually hits between late March and September when the weather is warm, windy, and humid, and the pollen count is at its highest.

There is currently no cure for hay fever, but its symptoms can usually be managed “at home or with medication widely available in community pharmacies or supermarkets,” Professor Powis said.

Hay fever symptoms include sneezing, coughing, a runny or blocked nose, as well as red, itchy, or watery eyes. Sufferers can also experience headaches, earache or lose their sense of smell.

Professor Powis encourages people to use the NHS website page which offers “helpful advice and tips on how best to manage hay fever and ease symptoms over the coming months.”

The NHS hay fever page outlines various methods individuals can use to ease their symptoms, such as staying indoors, keeping windows closed, refraining from cutting grass, or applying Vaseline around the nostrils to trap pollen.

It also offers advice on different treatments available from pharmacists and recommends when people should seek help from their GP.