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Beat the heat
Managing hay fever
Hay fever happens when the tiny pollen particles from grass, trees get into your eyes, nose or throat and cause an allergic reaction. Pollen counts can get high in hot weather.
If you suffer from hay fever, try to avoid being outside early morning and late evening and take a non-drowsy antihistamine. Use a nasal steroid spray for nose irritation and eye drops for eye symptoms – get advice at your local community pharmacy.
- Hay fever season usually runs from March to September
- People can be affected by different types of pollen See Met Office website
- You can’t get rid of hay fever, but you can help alleviate the symptoms
- Pharmacies have over the counter medicines
- Lower the amount of pollen you come into contact with:
- vacuuming your house regularly
- not having flowers indoors
- keeping your doors and windows closed as much as possible
Help yourself
Hot weather is expected during the summer months. Check the weather forecast and any high-temperature health warnings on the Met Office site here
- Stay out of the direct sun, especially during the hottest part of the day, between 11am-3pm, when UV rays are strongest.
- If you’re going out, walk in the shade, apply sunscreen, wear a hat, sunglasses and light, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothes.
- If you start to feel unwell, get dizzy, feel weak, anxious or have intense thirst, move to a cool place, rehydrate and cool your body down.
Help others
Look out for older people, people with long-term health conditions and young children who may find it more difficult to stay cool and hydrated in hot weather.
- Make sure they understand how to keep themselves cooler in hot weather.
- Check the storage instructions on any medication to see if they need to be moved to a cooler place.
- Make sure any curtains or blinds stay down during the hottest part of the day, then open the windows for ventilation when it is cooler. And do the same in your own home!
If you think someone vulnerable has heatstroke, take them indoors, where they need to lie down in a cool, dark place. Loosen any tight clothing, and get them to drink plenty of cool water.
Symptoms of heatstroke include:
- dizziness
- headache
- nausea
- vomiting
- sweating
- a rapid pulse rate
- feeling thirsty
- not passing urine
If they develop heatstroke, you may notice additional symptoms such as confusion, drowsiness, unresponsiveness or being unconscious.
If the person has symptoms or signs of heat stroke – phone 999 immediately.
If you are worried about someone and it isn’t and obvious emergency contact 111
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