If you are unlucky enough to suffer from hay fever you will have noticed the symptoms seem to be a lot worse than previous years.

People have taken to social media to complain about their symptoms with many suffering from the increased pollen count at this time of year.

According to a senior nurse at one of the country's leading allergy charities, it could be because people’s perception of symptoms has changed following a year of lockdowns.

Holly Shaw, a nurse advisor for Allergy UK, was speaking to BBC Radio One’s Newsbeat about hay fever heating sufferers harder than normal this year.

She said: “When the Covid-19 pandemic first hit, we noticed that people came in saying their appointments had been delayed or postponed.

They leant towards charities even more so to support them during that time."

"At the moment we're in the peak of a really nice warm spell, there are light winds - which is very favourable for moving pollen around - and we're having days of high pollen counts," says Holly.

"So it isn't unusual for me to hear patients reporting their hay fever symptoms are really miserable."

But Holly added it could be down to people "perceiving" their symptoms differently.

She doesn't believe lockdown and self-isolating will have made sufferers any more susceptible to pollen this year, though.

When does hay fever season start?

Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen and usually occurs when it comes into contact with your mouth, nose, eyes and throat. Hay fever season typically starts at the end of March until the end of September, with various pollen stirring allergies at different times throughout the summer.

Tree pollen occurs first, typically from late March to mid-May. Grass pollen then usually lasts from mid-May until July, with weed pollen covering the end of June to September.

However, the Met Office explains that depending on where you live in the UK, the hay fever season will start at different times.

“For example, there’s a later start and shorter season in the north of the UK, where generally there is less pollen,” said the Met Office.

Urban areas tend to have lower counts than the countryside, and places inland have higher counts than around the coast.

Grass pollen also has two peaks, with the first usually starting in the first two weeks of June and then the second, lower peak occurring in the first two weeks of July, after which things tail off slowly.

These peaks may be masked by how wet, dry, warm or cold it is, and the timing of the peaks also depends on the weather conditions during spring and early summer.

Pollen is also dependent on how “hardy different species are and how well they cope with a mixture of different types in one region,” added the Met Office.

What are the symptoms of hay fever?

According to the NHS, symptoms of hay fever include:

  • sneezing and coughing
  • a runny or blocked nose
  • itchy, red or watery eyes
  • itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears
  • loss of smell
  • pain around your temples and forehead
  • headache
  • earache
  • feeling tired

If you have asthma, you might also:

  • have a tight feeling in your chest
  • be short of breath
  • wheeze and cough

How can I treat my hay fever symptoms?

Although there’s no cure or prevention for hay fever, you can do things to ease your symptoms when the pollen count is high.

The NHS suggests the following:

  • put Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen
  • wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes
  • shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off
  • stay indoors whenever possible
  • keep windows and doors shut as much as possible
  • vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth
  • buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car and a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter

You can also speak to your pharmacist if you’re suffering with hay fever symptoms. They can give advice and suggest the best treatments to help with your symptoms, such as antihistamine drops, tablets or nasal sprays.

Your GP may also prescribe you a steroid treatment, sthen your GP may refer you for immunotherapy.

There are also things you can avoid doing to prevent making hay fever symptoms worse including:

  • not cutting grass or walking on grass
  • not spending too much time outside
  • not keeping fresh flowers in the house
  • not smoking or being around smoke – it makes your symptoms worse
  • not drying clothes outside – they can catch pollen
  • not letting pets into the house if possible – they can carry pollen indoors