The pollen count across England today has been forecast as ‘very high’ by the Met Office, and this means a major flare-up of hay fever symptoms. A recent study showed many Brits are completely unaware of the main triggers for hay fever. Better care and knowledge on hay fever symptoms is crucial for all who suffer, particularly those who also have asthma. There has been an improvement in basic care with dealing with hay fever and asthma, however age groups between 18 -29 persistently lag behind when it comes to basic care.
Getting better care is a joint effort between you and your GP
Asthma UK
Asthma UK said: “Getting better care is a joint effort between you and your GP.
“The basic care measures outlined here are what you should be receiving on the NHS, but there’s a lot you can do to make sure you get the right care.
“If you don’t already have a written asthma action plan then download one from the website and print it out and put it on your fridge or save a digital version and keep it on your phone, so it’s always with you.”
Other tips:
If you’re worried about your inhaler technique or haven’t had it checked in a while, ask your pharmacist or GP to check it for you.
If you don’t receive your annual review reminder, demand one from your GP practice.
If your asthma symptoms are causing problems, such as interfering with daily activities or interrupting your sleep, the best way to address this is to arrange an asthma review with your doctor or asthma nurse.
When to see a doctor from your hay fever symptoms:
- You’re too breathless or it’s difficult to speak, eat or sleep
- Your breathing is getting faster and feels like you can’t get your breath in
- Your symptoms are getting worse
Your reliever inhaler isn’t working properly
“Young adults, including young people with asthma, have a particularly high level of digital engagement.
“However, this doesn’t always correlate to health literacy. Our report, on the edge: how inequality affects people with asthma, has highlighted that 18-29 year olds with low income and other factors of deprivation as having lower health literacy.”
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