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Experts Reveal Why Your Hay Fever Disappears On Holiday – And It's Better In Hot Destinations
EVER wondered why all that sneezing and itchy eyes simply disappear when you're abroad? Turns out it is not a mere coincidence.
Experts have revealed why your hay fever vanishes when on holiday and why hot destinations are the best places to be.
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There is a reason why your hay fever vanishes when you're abroadCredit: Getty
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It has also been revealed why hot destinations are the best places to beCredit: GettyFor many of us summertime can be synonym of runny noses, itchy eyes and a pocketful of antihistamines.
The disease known medically as hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, strikes as soon as pollen leaves the grasses and trees and floats up into people's noses.
Podcaster Adam Parkinson is one such victim who has found solace from the yearly assault only by going somewhere else, the Express reports.
Directly from his sun lounger - and apparently with no hay fever symptoms in sight - Adam posed the question to his Instagram followers.
He said: "Genuine question for everyone out there.
"I'm in Spain at the minute, the weather is obviously unreal, but why is it that I do not suffer with hay fever at all?
"I've not taken one antihistamine since I've been here.
"Yet, at home, even if the weather's slightly mild I'm sneezing nonstop and I've got the itchiest eyes in the world."
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Tiny English village with its own train station, riverside pubs & quaint castlesPosters' theories regarding why hay fever sometimes goes away when you leave the country quickly followed.
When your hay fever symptoms could really be signs of cancerSome suggested that living near the shore could alleviate the symptoms since sea breezes could carry pollen further inland.
Others said that it was because the plants in other countries differed from those in the United Kingdom - and turns out that is one of the reasons why.
In the UK, tree, weed, and grass pollen are common causes of hay fever.
But there are up to 30 distinct varieties of pollen worldwide, so when visiting abroad, you may not be exposed to the pollens that affect you at home.
According to the National Institute of Health, the most important pollens in Spain come from cypress trees from January to March, grasses, birch and olive trees from April to June, and chenopodium and salsola from July to September.
Separate research suggests that olive pollen is a major offender in other Mediterranean nations, including southern Italy, Greece, and Turkey.
Travelling during the summer months means missing the peak grass pollen season, which begins in April, May, and June.
According to experts, the hot temperatures and climates that we seek in the Mediterranean also help to reduce pollen levels.
According to the Met Office, temperature influences pollen emission.
Once thermometers reach 18 degrees Celsius, you will most certainly notice a lot of grass and tree pollen in the air, but there is a point at which things begin to improve.
Their website states: "If the temperature rises above 28C then all pollen levels decrease.
"If several warm days occur in a row, then the supply of pollen can run out altogether."
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Travelling abroad during the summer months means missing the peak grass pollen season, experts saidCredit: GettyHay Fever Sufferers Warned Canberra Could Have 'earlier And Above Average Grass Pollen Season'
Hayfever sufferer Jackie Hattingh is gearing up for the most problematic time of year: Spring.
"Whenever the grass comes into spreading its pollen stage, when it gets nice and beautiful and tall, I die, I just get everything," Ms Hattingh said.
"You get the itchy throat, the itchy ears, it drives me mad, because you can't scratch it.
"If you rub your eyes, they swell up, your nose just doesn't stop running, which is awful when you trying to do stuff to have a runny nose, it's like water."
Ms Hattingh is concerned the upcoming season may have some extra bite.
"I do have friends who battle with the trees, and they definitely think [they're feeling symptoms already] with the warmer weather," she said.
And her concerns are not unfounded, as experts warn Canberra may be facing a longer and more severe pollen season than in recent years.
Canberra hayfever sufferer Jackie Hattingh checks the pollen app on her phone. (ABC News: Michael Barnett)
'Above average' pollen season predictedGrass pollen season usually starts at the end of September or early October, and runs until late December, or even into January.
But even a casual viewing of the grass planes around Canberra indicates this season could be starting earlier.
Simon Haberle is the director of the Canberra Pollen Monitoring Centre at the Australian National University (ANU), and has been monitoring the grass around the ACT.
At Dairy Farmers Hill in the National Arboretum looking west, Professor Haberle has taken a series of photos at the same spot, at the same time, over several years.
Dairy Farmers Hill photographed in August 2019 (top) and August 2024 (bottom). (Supplied: Simon Haberle)
"This year we see that the grasslands around Canberra already are looking quite green,'' Professor Haberle said.
"Greenness, or the productivity of the grasslands, can be quite a strong predictor of the nature of pollen season.
"That suggests that we might expect a perhaps earlier and certainly above average grass pollen season.''
But it's not just grass pollen causing hay fever sufferers grief.
Tree pollen season usually runs from July to October, and Professor Haberle said bursts of pollen from trees including cypress pines are already causing problems.
Simon Haberle is the director of the Canberra pollen project. (ABC News: Mark Moore)
"You'll see sort of clouds of yellow pollen and pollen appearing on your car and in puddles,'' he said.
"This can be irritating and cause allergic responses in some people in the population and causes early onset of hay fever for many Canberrans.''
As well as taking photographs, Professor Haberle and his colleagues have also been monitoring long-range weather forecasts.
"The long-term weather prediction for this summer is a La Nina,'' Dr Benedict Keaney said.
"We're not quite sure of the strength but what effectively that means is that it might be a bad season in terms of the grass pollen.''
Dr Benedict Keaney of the Canberra Pollen Monitoring Program at the Australian National University (ANU). (ABC News: Michael Barnett)
Preventative treatments the keyUsing monitoring equipment on the roof of a building at the ANU, the pollen monitoring centre uses a website and an app to provide the community with updates on grass pollen levels.
This means people at home can be alerted to any spikes in pollen.
It's also helpful for asthma sufferers — because in addition to causing hay fever, pollen is also a trigger for asthma.
Asthma Australia board member and Victorian GP Chris Pearce said hospital admissions for asthma spike when pollen levels were high.
"The mechanism that causes many cases of hay fever and asthma is exactly the same, in the sense that it's almost an allergic reaction where the pollen in their air triggers release of certain chemicals in the body as a response to those pollens and triggers, asthma, hay fever,'' he said.
Dr Benedict Keaney with the pollen monitoring equipment. (ABC News: Michael Barnett)
Dr Pearce said people who suffered from hay fever or asthma should use the lead up to grass pollen season to put preventive measures in place.
"Usually the treatment is preventive,'' he said.
"There are various sprays for hay fever and various inhalers for asthma. And the answer is to get onto them and to get onto them early and use them over this period when you're at risk.
"It's all about monitoring your own symptoms and keeping it under control so you can function as best you can.''
Those susceptible to pollen in Canberra are able to check their danger using an app. (ABC News: Michael Barnett)
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