30-40 percent of teens in Britian develop Hay fever and it's still on the rise?!

I had heard that there were unusually high rates of Hayfever over there but I didn't know it was that exreme.


it's mentioned in ths article here along with a completely different but nevertheless interesting discussion about the connection between hayfever and poor academic performance.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/h...icle1929321.ece

I've read about the general increase in prevalence of allergies, but this figure is astounding. I've also read about the increased prevalence of asthma -- in fact, there was an article about it in Health Day today.

I believe that researchers suspect that increased CO2 in the atmosphere, global warming, and particulate pollution are the causes. Global warming has caused plants to flower earlier and longer (leading to prolonged allergen exposure), increased CO2 has caused plants to throw off more pollen (researchers have proved this studying pollination of ragweed in the city versus the country), and particulate pollution is thought to be a prime cause of asthma.

*tries to feel sad for the Brits*

...

*fails miserably*

As someone from the UK myself, I am familiar with articles like this, and also with the info that Trillium posted....I believe there is a lot of truth in it. A lot of teens in this country do develop hayfever (I was one of them, mine started when I was 15). It is estimated that 10-15% of Brits suffer with hayfever and this is rising all the time, with at least 30% of these being in their teens and 20's. First time adult allergies are also on the rise, with a number of people in their 30's and 40's (and sometimes even older than this) developing hayfever each year when they have never suffered with allergies before. I personally agree that the major exams should be moved to a time that does not co-incide with the peak pollen season....this was something that affected me when I was at school, and I underperformed badly in my exams because of a combination of allergy symptoms and being dosed up on medication. But also a big problem here is that many doctors and so called health professionals don't take it seriously enough...you're told you have hayfever and sent away with a bunch of pills and nasal sprays etc, and not give any advice at all on how to manage your symptoms or reduce your exposure to pollen. I also have allergy related asthma, so even as one of those fetishists who can enjoy my own sneezes during allergy season, I still have to be very careful not to overdo it.

I think it has a lot to do with the fact that in most UK cities you're never more than thirty minutes from the countryside and due to the high population base within small areas, most councils solution to this was to put in lots of parks to counteract not having gardens. If you combine that with high pollution indices in the city and well, us allergy sufferers are effectivey screwed

We do?

OH JOY THERE'S HOPE FOR ME YET <3

LOL you never know...as Kat says, the fact that you are never far from countryside here (about a 10-15 minute drive in my case), and that there are always parks in major cities, etc...well again, I can vouch for that, there are several very large parks within a short distance of where I live (and I live in the suburbs of a large city)...and even further, if you add again to that (for those of us with grass pollen allergies) that the council seem to love high pollen count days for cutting the grass around suburban housing estates....then you are most definitely screwed!

Britian becomes sneezeopia in 20 years

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/H...215598000?f=rss

That is it! I am moving to Britain!

Well, we put up with rubbish summers so there has to be something good to come out of it. Roll on the summertime sneezes!

Me too... I just feel Very badly...

i get hayfever and i have got it atm even rite now im in the middle of a sneezing attack and blowing my nose

i live in england and my boyfriends hayfever has been reeli bad the past couple of days...yey for me!!!
and he wont take any medication cuz he said he likes the attention i give him lol.....so happy days for me!

I think I am the newest sufferer! I've been very sneezy all day today for some odd reason, I'm so not sick. And I never sneeze...

Hayfever in Ireland too, I wonder...heheheh...time to rename my brother "Snotty". Sneezing all year round now? This place sure builds up your immunity. XD

Woah, i think Victoria Australia is already there, nevermind what it will be like in 20 years.



http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse/News%20and%2...%20of%20spring/


While looking around however, i also discovered this horrible little article .


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthne...on-the-way.html

my hayfever has been terrible

Well. I have got hayfever and I passed higher than expected. So take that! harhar. Can you tell I'm pleased?

this past week my hayfever has been really bad i havent been able to go anywhere without a tissue

OOoOoOoOo i feel your pain there. We had sports day today aswell in the middle of the schools freshly mowed field =/
edit: my sons school. Im a little old to be in school now haha