Most allergy inclined cities as pollen bomb heads for UK bringing hay fever hell
Hay fever hell is about to be unleashed on 15 million Brits as soaring grass pollen levels make life a misery for sufferers.
The delayed pollen bomb comes after parts of the UK have basked in temperatures reaching up to 23C last weekend. But which areas are you safest from snuffling and sneezing? New data has revealed the top 10 UK cities most likely to suffer from allergies, with Bolton, Croydon and Lincoln coming out on top.
The research, conducted by thermal imaging experts, Tester.co.uk examined average monthly search volumes for a list of allergy-related key terms – including, but not limited to, “asthma attack,” “allergy testing near me” and “antihistamine tablets” – to determine which areas fare worst.
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They found that Bolton is the most allergy-prone city, with an average monthly search volume of 3,428 per 100,000 people.
(Image: Getty Images)
“Hives rash” is the most popular term Googled in the northwestern city, with 890 average monthly searches, followed by “antihistamine” and “asthma.”
On the other hand, the least allergy-prone UK city is Oxford with an average monthly search volume of 402 per 100,000 people.
The National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit issued the very high pollen alert categorised as red earlier this week.
Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, is one of the most prevalent allergies in the country, affecting an estimated one in two Brits.
(Image: Getty Images)
It’s estimated that 90% of hay fever sufferers are allergic to grass pollen.
Symptoms typically occur when the pollen count is at its highest – during warm, humid and windy weather.
In the event of a “pollen bomb” a massive release, which can sometimes resemble smoke, travels through the air from trees that have stored huge stacks of pollen.
The first “very high” pollen days of the year were anticipated this week, marking a sunny start to summer.
The so-called “pollen bomb” is due to a surge in levels after grass grew rapidly during the hottest spring since 1659, only to have its pollen release hindered by weeks of rain.
Very high grass pollen levels can trigger sneezing, runny noses and itchy eyes in hay fever sufferers.
The top 10 most allergy prone cities are:
1. Bolton (3,428)
2. Croydon (3,249)
3. Lincoln (2,837)
4. Manchester (2,709)
5. Bath (2,583)
6. Bristol (2,515)
7. Peterborough (2,493)
8. Norwich (2,425)
9. Leeds (2,389)
10. Stockport (2,351)
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