Hay fever alert issued as Brits urged to do these 8 things to fight pollen bomb

Experts have revealed eight things sufferers can do to manage their symptoms after the issued a red pollen alert this week. High levels of pollen are expected to descend on the country in the coming months and will trigger allergic rhinitis in millions of Brits.

- before dreaded grass pollen season kicks in until July. Allergic reactions to all pollen heighten as the gets warmer, so sufferers are expected to have a rough time of it until the end of summer. One in five adults is affected.

And now, has teamed up with Helen A Brough, an allergist and Professor of Paediatric Allergy at King's College London, to put together the best hacks to help sufferers ease symptoms and get a good night’s sleep...

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Vacuum your mattress and wash your bedsheets EVERY week

Professor Brough said: "You should vacuum your mattress weekly to make sure that absolutely no trace of allergens are left to haunt your dreams. And don’t forget to flip it to clean both sides. Those battling hay fever should also wash their bedding once a week, giving special attention to pillow covers during this time of the year."

Make your own dust-repellent spray

Consider mixing the following ingredients to create a homemade dusting spray that will keep your surfaces cleaner for longer:

• ½ cup of water (125ml)

• ¼ cup of vinegar (60ml)

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• A few drops of essential oil of your choosing to give your spray the perfect scent (remember to check if it’s safe for pets!)

Once sprayed, wipe the surface with a clean cloth. This dust-repellent spray will help keep dust and pollen away from your bedroom’s surfaces for longer!

Pick a damp cloth over a dry one

Professor Brough revealed: "When dusting, always choose a damp cloth over a dry one. The dry one will allow the pollen and the dust that you’ve just removed from the surface to float around the bedroom and deposit somewhere else. Instead, if you’re using a damp cloth, the pollen will stick to it, and you will truly have got rid of it for good!"

Mattress and pillow protectors are your best friends

Consider purchasing an anti-allergy mattress and pillow protector if you haven’t already, and make sure to wash them every one or two weeks with the rest of your bedding. This will ensure that any residual pollen on the mattress and the pillows won’t be able to reach your bedsheets, improving your sleep quality significantly.

Don’t sleep with your pet

A pet can be your best friend, but not during hay fever season. Living with a pet will make it more difficult for you to take control of the pollen infiltration in your home, as it will often stick to their fur. For this reason, try to hang out with your pets outside the bedroom and avoid sleeping with them to alleviate your hay fever symptoms.

Vacuum TWICE a week and use this trick

It’s a good habit to vacuum at least twice a week, especially for rooms covered in carpets, where dust can deposit very easily. But make sure you’re cleaning the WHOLE bedroom, not just the floors. These are some of the areas that people tend to forget about:

• Ceilings and walls

• Light fixtures

• Shelves and tops of cabinets

• Curtains and blinds

• Flat surfaces

Using a criss-cross pattern while vacuuming your bedroom’s carpets will also help improve your sleep quality during hay fever season. Moving the vacuum in different directions will ensure you get deeper into the carpet's fibres to pick up more pollen.

Don’t dry clothes on outside washing line

Some of your washing habits might need changing when dealing with hay fever symptoms. For example, avoid drying your clothes and bedsheets outside in the fresh air after doing your laundry, where pollen and dust can collect. Instead, dry them in a tumble dryer or hang them up inside.

Wash your hair before going to bed

Spending time outside in the glorious sun can also come with the risk of pollen getting stuck to your hair and, as such, your pillowcase. The best way to avoid opening your bedroom door to pollen is to wash that pollen from your hair with shampoo every evening.

Professor Brough said: "Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, is an allergic reaction to pollen, causing symptoms like sneezing, runny or blocked nose, itching, and watery eyes. It occurs when the immune system mistakenly identifies pollen as harmful, triggering inflammation in the nose and eyes.

"Grass pollen is the most common trigger. Tree pollens cause symptoms from February to May, while weeds affect sufferers from April to September. Mould spores peak around September and October but may affect people throughout the year.

"Some people experience Oral Allergy Syndrome, an itchy mouth or throat when eating certain fruits or nuts due to pollen-food cross-reactions. Antihistamines can relieve itching and sneezing; steroid nasal sprays reduce nasal blockage. Severe cases may benefit from immunotherapy (allergy desensitisation).”