Hay fever sufferers told to brace for severe allergy season
Doctors have warned those who suffer itchy eyes and sneezing fits that a severe pollen season looms across Victoria. See how you can get on top of your symptoms.
VIC News
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Doctors are warning those already hit with itchy eyes and sneezing fits this spring to get on top of hay fever and asthma prevention early, a month out from the official start of allergy season.
A wet start to September, coupled with an expected hot season, is pointing to a severe but short pollen season for the one in five Victorians who suffer hay fever. A quarter of these people also have asthma.
Deakin University Associate Professor Cenk Suphioglu, head of Deakin AIRwatch — which accounts for two of the eight state pollen counters — said with spring temperatures set to quickly climb, the pollen season may be over before the traditional peak period of thunderstorm asthma in late November.
The last epidemic of this unique weather chain-reaction, where a drop in air pressure and rain causes pollen grains to explode in the air, killed 10 people in 2016.
“We’re at the liberty of how the grass is going to behave — it’s very opportunistic — but if it continues the way we think it will then perhaps there won’t be as much of a thunderstorm asthma risk,” Associate Prof Suphioglu said.
“But people can’t afford to be complacent with their asthma action plans.
“By having that plan, if the situation goes to the worst, then the patient is prepared.”
While the official hay fever season and state pollen forecast runs from October to December, those already with itchy throats and runny noses, spring flowering trees such as wattle, sheoak, birch and elm are the likely culprits.
Head of Clinical Immunology and Allergy at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Professor Jo Douglass said while over-the-counter antihistamine nose sprays worked best for mild and occasional sufferers, regular use of a nose spray containing a steroid was a better choice for more regular allergy symptoms.
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“If people are having symptoms now they’re likely to have quite bad hay fever because there’s not a lot of grass pollen around,” Prof Douglass said.
“That group could start treatment now, because the risk they run is they also have asthma.
“Asthma is wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing at night — those things aren’t just hay fever, that’s asthma.
“People who have those symptoms should see their doctor and get onto a preventer medication, especially if it’s happening early in the season. That will keep them safe through the pollen season.
“I am concerned that people get complacent about taking asthma preventer medication. I am concerned that might put them at risk.”