Daily Mirror

Blooming hell

Hay fever will hit 30million Brits by 2030 due to global warming

- BY NADA FARHOUD Environmen­t Editor nada.farhoud@mirror.co.uk @nadafarhou­d

AROUND half of us will suffer hay fever by 2030 as global warming causes the pollen count to surge.

Experts reckon 30 million Brits will show symptoms and warn that cases have been rising steadily for decades after an “allergy explosion”.

In the 1970s, only 10% of the population were hit but 30% of adults and 40% of children are now sufferers.

We are now in the top three countries for the highest allergy incidences.

And a study in health journal Lancet Planetary Health says significan­tly longer and more intense pollen seasons, driven by rising temperatur­es, will only make things worse.

The work by US scientist Lewis Ziska and colleagues from 15 other countries looked at airborne pollen data from 17 sites across the globe, covering an average 26 years. It states that “long-term data indicate significan­t increases in both pollen loads and pollen season duration over time”.

It also highlights an important link between “ongoing global warming and public health – one that could be exacerbate­d as temperatur­es continue to they are more intense. Although this is bad news for people with hay fever, the good news is that we have ways to deal with it. Antihistam­ine tablets can relieve most symptoms but are less effective for nasal congestion. “Steroid nasal sprays can help and work best for symptoms including itching, sneezing, watering and congestion.” increase”. Max Wiseberg, an airborne allergens expert and creator of HayMax allergen barrier balms, said: “The study shows something we have already noticed – we are having longer pollen seasons and BLIGHT Pollen surging

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