Summer sneeze

GREG Barry admits he was never really able to understand when people complained about the effects of hay fever. Itching eyes and a sneeze? So what's the big deal? He changed his mind a couple of weeks ago. His own eyes began itching, his own nose began streaming, and he found himself constantly sneezing. Before long, the 31-year-old York postman found his eyes were so red and sore from rubbing he couldn't wear his contact lenses any more.

As a postman, he is out and about from early in the morning. Before about 9.30am, it wasn't too bad, he says, but by the mid part of the day he found it almost unbearable.

"It was unbelievable!" he says. "I'd never suffered before, but this was beyond a joke."

Greg isn't the only person who has found themselves suddenly afflicted by hay fever for the first time this year. Thousands more people are suffering from the condition than usual - with the unprecedented rise in the number of new victims being caused by high pollen counts close to record levels.

The highest ever count - 1,100 grains of pollen per cubic metre - was recorded in Cardiff in 1992. But a couple of weeks ago in Derby a count of 1,024 was recorded. To put that in context, a level of 50 grains is enough to cause hay fever symptoms in sensitised people.

In a new twist on a miserable but familiar condition, part of the reason for this year's high pollen counts, some experts say, could be the foot and mouth crisis. Mass slaughter of animals has left thousands of acres of grassland ungrazed.

Pollen forecaster Professor Jean Emberlin, director of the National Pollen Research Unit, says: "This is pretty near to being one of the worst seasons of the decade. The high pollen counts have not started declining yet as we would have expected.

"It has been caused by a combination of exceptional circumstances, a particularly wet and warm winter and spring, making it ideal grass-growing weather. Foot and mouth is likely to have affected air quality in some areas, as we are getting high counts recorded in local areas affected by livestock culling."

Hay fever is caused by the body's own immune system reacting to pollen and producing a flood of histamines and other chemicals to fight the pollen allergens, even though they themselves aren't really harmful. It is the chemicals produced by our own bodies that cause the symptoms of hay fever.

In the UK, pollen from grass affects about 95 per cent of sufferers, triggering a range of symptoms including red, itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing, ear and sinus problems, and making the summer a misery.

Muriel Simmons, of the British Allergy Foundation, says: "This has been a terrible year for hay fever. We have been inundated with calls from people who have never previously suffered from this allergy and are experiencing quite severe symptoms. Doctors and pharmacists are reporting a similar increase in patients.

"We are seriously concerned that this could increase accidents and even result in loss of life. Hay fever is not a complaint to be taken lightly as it can reduce the ability to work effectively and to drive safely. For instance, if you sneeze while you are driving at 70 miles an hour you will travel 300 feet with your eyes closed."

She said new sufferers should not ignore the condition and hope it would go away, nor should they try hay fever remedies without seeking proper advice first.

"The danger is that many new sufferers may try to ignore the problem, not realising that it can affect their concentration and can even trigger asthma," she says. "Or they may take over-the-counter medicines without following advice, such as not drinking alcohol whilst taking hayfever remedies. People need to be aware that some antidotes contain sedatives which slow down reaction times.

"We urge people to take this allergy seriously and seek advice on medication from pharmacists or GPs for their own safety as well as the safety of others."

If you go to your pharmacist, you are likely to be recommended to try anti-histamine tablets, which work by suppressing the immune response which is causing the problem.

Anti-histamines tend to have a reputation for causing drowsiness - and that was partly true of older ones such as Piriton. But modern anti-histamines are much less likely to cause drowsiness, says pharmacist Elliot Goran, who runs pharmacies in York's Badger Hill and Dunnington. There are a number of different types available; and it may be a question of trying one or more to find one which suits you.

If those don't work, you may be able to try a nasal spray, which are available in either anti-histamine or steroid form. For itchy eyes, sodium chromoglycate eyedrops may help. The best advice is to ask your pharmacist for help.

An increasing number of people now, though, are preferring to try alternative remedies.

Greg Barry admits he was reluctant to try anti-histamines because of worries they would cause drowsiness. He got some relief, he says, from Pollenna, a homoeopathic remedy he picked up at Tullivers herbs and wholefood shop in Colliergate, York. "It stops me from sneezing and it's not that dear," he says. "It's natural, and I didn't want to get anything stronger."

Pollenna contains a mixture of natural homeopathic ingredients, including onion, eye-bright and sapadilla, and doesn't cause drowsiness, says Helen Spath of Tullivers. The shop also stocks a range of other natural homeopathic and herbal remedies.

Medical herbalist Donald Purves, of The Healing Clinic, in Fulford Cross, York, has a favourite natural remedy of his own which he recommends.

Ideally, he says, you should be preparing to resist the onslaught of hay fever back in early spring by eating plenty of fresh fruit and veg, reducing your exposure to pollution and reducing stress levels. But in an emergency he recommends trying a preventative of elderflower, nettle and ribwort. Mix equal portions of the dried herbs, pour one pint of boiling water onto two teaspoons in a teapot, cover, infuse for 15 minutes, strain and drink at least three cups per day.

Tullivers is at 1 Colliergate, York, tel 01904 636437. The Healing Clinic at Fulford cross can be contacted on 01904 679868.