Hay fever sufferers in Wales left housebound, exhausted and miserable

Hay fever sufferers will see their symptoms get worse this week as the grass pollen count begins to rise.

New research paints a bleak picture of this debilitating condition and Wales’ own champion athlete Colin Jackson, who dropped a promising cricket career because his hay fever was so bad, tells how it makes him want to ‘dig his eyes out’.

All stats from Wales from a UK-wide survey

HAY FEVER MISERY NOT TO BE SNEEZED AT

THE full misery of surviving summer in Britain with hay fever has been revealed – leaving exhausted sufferers stuck indoors with the doors and windows shut.

The condition means the summer is ruined for 50% of hay fever sufferers in Wales, while 38% avoid all forms of outdoor sport in summer and 38% say they are forced inside during the summer months, according to a new survey.

With an estimated 18m hay fever sufferers in the UK, nearly over half (53%) seven of hay fever sufferers surveyed in Wales endure sleepless nights.

Double World Champion hurdler Colin Jackson, who had to drop a promising cricket career because of hay fever said: “Hay fever is awful.

“You don’t want to be outdoors – at the best time of year to be outdoors – sleep is a pain because you can’t open the windows at night and your eyes are so itchy you want to dig them out, wash them and put them back in.”

The survey, carried out by Atomik Research for ASDA Pharmacy, revealed that, for hay fever sufferers in Wales:

• Nearly nine in ten (88%) say they never research pollen levels when going away – compared to a national average of 63%) – ruining the break for 21% of sufferers.
• Nearly two thirds (65%) said others do not understand their condition – against a UK-wide average of 54%.
• Over a third (38%) of hay fever sufferers are forced to spend the whole summer with the windows and doors shut to keep pollen out

Sixty-one per cent of hay fever sufferers in Wales said they had more than three nights of disturbed sleep each week – well above the UK average of 49%).

Nearly a third (32%) find runny noses, itchy eyes and a persistent cough mean they struggle to concentrate at work with 18% having to take time off work because of hay fever.

Over a quarter (26%) say their condition makes it difficult to enjoy the summer sun with their children.

Colin Jackson CBE, who took gold in the 110m hurdles at the 1993 and ’94 World Championships, said: “I used to play cricket for my county as a teenager. When the cricket season began I was excited – but my eyes weren’t.

“Being in a field from May onwards when you suffer from hay fever is bound to be a problem – but I was opening the bowling and batting at number five – and there was not enough time to get my itchy, streaming eyes under control.

“So, I decided to focus on athletics, which is generally a bit later in the season and doesn’t make me suffer as much.

“I suffer hay fever caused by both grass and tree pollen – so it’s a double whammy. I’m never sure whether my eyes or nose suffer worse – your eyes are itchy but your running nose gets so sore.

“I am constantly having to shut the windows in summer when it’s windy so the pollen doesn’t blow inside and I end up listening to the pollen forecasts more than the weather.

“It’s like having a cold – but a continuous cold that lasts for five months.”

ASDA Pharmacist Maq Din added: “There is currently no cure for hay fever and you can’t prevent it but you can do things to ease your symptoms when the pollen count is high.

“Staying cooped up inside is not a realistic way of living your life and avoiding hay fever symptoms but there are a few steps you can take to keep yourself protected if you’re venturing outdoors.

“These can include eye drops and nasal sprays, something as simple as wearing wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes and showering or changing your clothes after you’ve been outside to wash off the pollen.”