Expert advice on the pollen calendar
Pollen is all around us – you don’t necessarily see it, but you if you suffer with hay fever you certainly know its there.
A quarter of the UK’s population has the condition and sniffles and snuffles its way through the summer months.Derek Patch from the Tree Advice Trust in Surrey says there are certain pollens to watch out for if you’re allergic.
"The most prolific producers of pollen are those that rely on the wind to transmit pollen – these are birch, alder, hazel, willow and conifers."
If you suffer later in the season it is likely to be grass causing you the problems. Grass affects 95% of hay fever sufferers and its season lasts between May and July.
Derek says one of the ways of reducing your risk from grass pollen is to keep your lawn nicely mown, "If you have grass that is allowed to grow up to normal height, you will get flowers, you will get pollen production and that is when the problem arises."
