Hayfever facts - not to be sneezed at

• Around 16 million people are estimated to suffer from hayfever in the UK, affecting up to 28% of the UK population and 38% of teenagers
• Teenagers with hayfever symptoms are 40% more likely to drop a grade between their mock and final exams - rising to 70% if they are taking a sedating antihistamine treatment. A survey showed that 28% of students taking hayfever medication were on a sedating antihistamine [2]
• The peak age for the onset of hayfever is in adolescence, and as many as 63% of students surveyed reported hayfever symptoms [2]
• The tree pollen season starts in January and runs through to mid May. Grass pollen starts in late May until August, with the peak in June and affects 95% of UK hayfever sufferers. Weeds such as nettle and dock can cause hayfever in August and fungal spores trigger symptoms in Autumn [1]
• It’s estimated that hayfever might cost the UK economy as much as £7.1bn in lost productivity [3]
• The highest rates of hayfever are in the South and East, with rates in urban areas generally higher than those in rural ones [1]
• Well-known sufferers include the Olympic Athlete Marlon Devonish, Jon Bon Jovi, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Lopez, Kate Lawler, Cameron Diaz, Steffi Graf, Leyton Hewitt and Tiger Woods
• Over 75% of people reported that they would prefer a natural hayfever treatment and 72% would be happy for themselves or their child to try a natural product to help them to relieve their symptoms [4]

References

1. Hayfever prevalence in the UK in 2020, 2040 and 2060, Prof. Jean Emberlin, National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, University of Worcester. June 2009

2. Walker S, Khan-Wasti S, Fletcher M, Cullinan P, Harris J, Sheikh A. J Seasonal allergic rhinitis is associated with a detrimental effect on examination performance in United Kingdom teenagers: case-control study. Allergy Clin Immunol.2007

3. Hayfever Health Report, 2009, Opinion Matters

4. Stolen Lives 6 - The Allergic Rhinitis Report: The Impact of allergic rhinitis on people's lives. Survey of people with allergic rhinitis; Allergy UK. June 2009