Prepare for pollen season – know your pollen triggers
Pollen season will soon be upon us and being prepared during hay fever season can help reduce your child’s risk of an asthma attacks.
Different trees and plants release pollen at different times, but changeable weather in the UK makes it hard to predict exactly when this will happen. If your child gets hay fever symptoms all year round, you could have non-allergic rhinitis or an allergy to something else.
If your child gets hay fever and takes antihistamines, start giving them two to four weeks before the symptoms normally start. Taking them early means that when pollen starts being released, the medication has already built up in your child’s bloodstream, so they may be less likely to react.
If they use a steroid nasal spray, it can take up to two weeks to start working, so start using it before your child’s symptoms usually begin.
Asthma & Lung UK have a pollen calendar to help you track and spot your child’s symptoms. You can check it out here. https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/pollen-calendar
How to reduce your risk of hay fever symptoms
These steps will reduce your risk of your child’s symptoms getting worse, or an asthma attack as a result of hay fever.
- Take any preventer or maintenance treatment every day, as prescribed. This will help reduce the risk of their lungs reacting to pollen. When you have asthma, this is especially important, as the asthma preventer inhalers contain a low dose of steroid, which reduces inflammation that can be triggered by pollen.
- Always carry a reliever inhaler, (usually blue) with you. You might also call this a rescue inhaler. These inhalers quickly relax the muscles in your airways and ease your asthma symptoms on the spot.
- Try to stay away from their triggers, if possible. Take extra care if you’re out and about when it’s warm, humid and windy, or if the pollen count or the level of pollution is high. Check the weather on your TV or online or use a weather app on your phone to get weather and pollen alerts.
- Take hay fever medicines. They help reduce the allergic reaction that could be making your symptoms worse.
- Call your GP surgery or 111. They can help if your asthma symptoms get worse.
For more information on Allergies please click the link in the following document:
Allergic Rhinitis and Hay Fever Allergy Advice.docx
Happy holidays from the CYP Community Asthma Team!
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