With pollen at 'very high' levels in many parts of the UK today and into next week, Asthma + Lung UK says those with asthma and other lung conditions need to be on their guard.
Pollen is a major trigger for almost half of people with asthma and a quarter of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and exposure to it can bring on symptoms such as breathlessness, wheezing and coughing. At worst, pollen can prompt a potentially fatal asthma attack or a COPD flare-up requiring hospitalisation.
Asthma + Lung UK is now urging those with these illnesses to take precautions to protect themselves as the warmer, dry weather causes plants to produce additional pollen which then circulates more freely in the air.
Pollen can be dangerous for people with asthma or COPD because these conditions already mean people’s airways are narrower and inflamed. If they are also allergic to pollen and breathe it in, this can cause the muscles around their airways to tighten further, and the lining of the airways to become swollen and inflamed with a build-up of sticky mucus, leaving them struggling to breathe.
Latest research by the Asthma + Lung UK shows that 47.1% of people with asthma and 27.4% of people with COPD of those surveyed are triggered by pollen. More than 5m people in the UK have asthma, and over 1.3 million people are living with diagnosed COPD – an umbrella term for a group of lung conditions which make it harder to breathe. In total, over 38% of all people with lung conditions are triggered by pollen. (1)
Head of Health Advice at Asthma + Lung UK Emma Rubach, said periods like this week, when the Met office is warning of ‘extremely high’ levels of pollen, could be ‘deadly’ for those with lung conditions:
“High pollen levels can be very dangerous for people with conditions like asthma, bringing on serious symptoms like wheezing and breathlessness. They can prompt asthma attacks which can be terrifying, leaving them fighting to breathe. This can be deadly and around four people already die in the UK each day from an asthma attack. For those with COPD, it can leave them feeling a lot more breathless than usual and producing more or stickier phlegm, which could require hospital treatment.
“The best thing anyone with a lung condition can do is make sure they use their preventer inhaler regularly as prescribed if they have one, and always carry their reliever inhaler with them. Treating hay fever symptoms with antihistamine pills and a steroid nasal spray can also help stop an allergic reaction to pollen and prevent already sensitive airways from becoming more inflamed.
“Warning signs that hay fever could be affecting someone’s lung condition include shortness of breath, having a tight chest and wheezing or coughing, but there are simple steps they can take now to protect themselves. If symptoms are getting much worse however, we’d advise booking an urgent appointment to see their GP or medical professional.”
The Met Office has issued warnings of ‘very high’ pollen levels in Yorkshire and Humberside, the North West, West Midlands, Wales, East of England, South West, and London and South East England today and early into next week. In Scotland levels are ‘high’ in the Dumfries and Galloway and Lothian Borders and Highlands and Eilean Siar. In Northern Ireland levels are also classed as high.
Grass pollen is the most common hay fever trigger, affecting around 95% of people with the allergic reaction, and levels are often highest between mid-May and July. There’s evidence to show that when grass pollen levels are high, there is an increase in the number of people with asthma needing hospital treatment for their symptoms. There is also some evidence that suggests a link between high levels of grass pollen and increased numbers of COPD hospital admissions. (2)
Asthma + Lung UK has the following tips for anyone with a lung condition sensitive to pollen:
• Use your preventer inhaler daily if you have been prescribed one as this helps to build up protection against worsening symptoms if you are exposed to a trigger like pollen
• Carry your reliever inhaler, usually blue, with you wherever you go as these quickly relax the muscles in the airways and ease symptoms immediately
• Use a steroid nasal spray every day, together with non-drowsy antihistamine tablets to help stop the allergic reaction. Begin taking these two to four weeks before your symptoms normally start so that when pollen starts being released, the medication has already built up in your bloodstream
• Check pollen and air pollution forecasts in your local area, so you can avoid going outdoors as much as possible on high pollen days. The Met Office has pollen information on its website: Pollen forecast - Met Office
• Check the ALUK pollen calendar for detailed information about which tree or plant might be causing your hay fever symptoms: www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/pollen-calendar
• For more information about staying well during pollen season, visit www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/asthma/asthma-triggers/pollen-hay-f…;
• Call the Asthma + Lung UK helpline for further advice or information on 03 00 222 5800
References:
1. From Asthma + Lung UK’s Life with a Lung Condition survey 2023 which showed that 47.1% (4695 out of 9960) with asthma and 27.4% (1304 out of 4759) with COPD are triggered by pollen. It also found that pollen was a trigger for 38.4% of all people with lung conditions.
2. Info from the ALUK website: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/pollen.