Met Office forecasts 'very high' pollen count for London and South East England

According to the Met Office, tree pollen levels are set to rise over the weekend and into next week.

‘Very high’ pollen levels are forecast for London and South East England on Sunday and Monday.

What is the cause of hay fever?

Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, causing sneezing, coughing and itchy eyes.

How do I know if I've got hay fever?

The NHS says symptoms of hay fever could be:

sneezing and coughing

a runny or blocked nose

itchy, red or watery eyes

itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears

loss of smell

pain around the sides of your head and your forehead

headache

feeling tired

What makes hay fever worse?

Symptoms are usually worse between late March and September, especially when it's warm, humid and windy - when the pollen count is at its highest.

Unlike a cold, which usually goes away after 1 to 2 weeks, hay fever can last for weeks or months.

How can I treat hay fever?

There's currently no cure for hay fever and you cannot prevent it, but you can do things to ease symptoms when the pollen count is high.

To ease hay fever symptoms, the NHS says to:

put petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) around your nostrils to trap pollen

wear wraparound sunglasses, a mask or a wide-brimmed hat to stop pollen getting into your nose and eyes

shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off

keep windows and doors shut as much as possible

vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth

try to use a pollen filter in the air vents of your car, if you have one, and a HEPA filter in your vacuum cleaner

The NHS also says to avoid:

cutting or walking on grass

spending too much time outside

keeping fresh flowers in the house

smoking - it can make your symptoms worse

drying clothes outside – they can catch pollen

let pets come from outside, into the house if possible – they can carry pollen indoors

The NHS advises speaking to a pharmacist if you have hay fever as they can help and suggest the best treatments to help with symptoms, like antihistamine drops, tablets or nasal sprays, and steroid nasal sprays. Some antihistamines can make you sleepy, so speak to a pharmacist about non-drowsy antihistamines if you need to.

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