EVER wondered why all that sneezing and itchy eyes simply disappear when you’re abroad? Turns out it is not a mere coincidence.
Experts have revealed why your hay fever vanishes when on holiday and why hot destinations are the best places to be.
For many of us summertime can be synonym of runny noses, itchy eyes and a pocketful of antihistamines.
The disease known medically as hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, strikes as soon as pollen leaves the grasses and trees and floats up into people’s noses.
Podcaster Adam Parkinson is one such victim who has found solace from the yearly assault only by going somewhere else, the Express reports.
Directly from his sun lounger – and apparently with no hay fever symptoms in sight – Adam posed the question to his Instagram followers.
He said: “Genuine question for everyone out there.
“I’m in Spain at the minute, the weather is obviously unreal, but why is it that I do not suffer with hay fever at all?
“I’ve not taken one antihistamine since I’ve been here.
“Yet, at home, even if the weather’s slightly mild I’m sneezing nonstop and I’ve got the itchiest eyes in the world.”
Posters’ theories regarding why hay fever sometimes goes away when you leave the country quickly followed.
Some suggested that living near the shore could alleviate the symptoms since sea breezes could carry pollen further inland.
Others said that it was because the plants in other countries differed from those in the United Kingdom – and turns out that is one of the reasons why.
In the UK, tree, weed, and grass pollen are common causes of hay fever.
But there are up to 30 distinct varieties of pollen worldwide, so when visiting abroad, you may not be exposed to the pollens that affect you at home.
According to the National Institute of Health, the most important pollens in Spain come from cypress trees from January to March, grasses, birch and olive trees from April to June, and chenopodium and salsola from July to September.
Separate research suggests that olive pollen is a major offender in other Mediterranean nations, including southern Italy, Greece, and Turkey.
Travelling during the summer months means missing the peak grass pollen season, which begins in April, May, and June.
According to experts, the hot temperatures and climates that we seek in the Mediterranean also help to reduce pollen levels.
According to the Met Office, temperature influences pollen emission.
Once thermometers reach 18 degrees Celsius, you will most certainly notice a lot of grass and tree pollen in the air, but there is a point at which things begin to improve.
Their website states: “If the temperature rises above 28C then all pollen levels decrease.
“If several warm days occur in a row, then the supply of pollen can run out altogether.”
