30700-92Runny noses and streaming eyes aren't just a nightmare in winter. The hayfever season is now upon us and the sound of sneezing and nose blowing is just as common as the chirping birds and bleating lambs heralding the end of winter.

Hayfever it seems is becoming more common.

If you don't already know someone who suffers from the hell of hayfever, you soon will.

This is because many flowers, including tree and grass flowers, are flowering earlier and for longer in response to global warming.

This means pollen is released for longer periods than before and 95 per cent of hayfever is triggered by grass pollen.

And this is not good news for the millions of sufferers.

New research shows how the lives of those with hayfever are affected in ways above and beyond the obvious symptoms of sneezing and itchy eyes.

The survey reveals the hidden levels of fatigue, poor self-esteem and physical and mental stress.

Zena Harris, from Old Town, bears testament to this and used to dread the first signs of summer.

The 26-year-old admin assistant said: "When everyone else used to look forward to warmer and longer days I used to prepare myself for a runny nose and a general sense of feeling under the weather.

"It's much better now because I take allergy tablets.

"And the symptoms seemed to be getting a bit better anyway.

"I think it first started when I was about 13 or 14 but by the time I had hit 20 it was as though I had grown out of it, and just had the occasional sneeze or runny nose.

"But I really feel for people when I see them sneezing and blowing their nose in the summer."

By making a few small changes around the house even the runniest of noses may be eased.

Try changing feather pillows, woollen blankets and woollen clothing to cotton or synthetic materials.

Mattresses, box springs and pillows are a haven for dust mites and their faeces so encase them in a plastic barrier cloth.

Hayfever symptoms are aggravated by dust and grass pollen so cover up with a pollen mask when house cleaning or mowing grass.

Install an air purifier and change air filters monthly in heating and air conditioning systems.

Indoor plants and other sources of mildew should be removed from inside the house.

Almost one in five adults have suffered from hayfever

The medical name for hayfever is seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Hayfever affects more than nine million sufferers.

Almost one in five adults have suffered from hayfever.

Hayfever causes annoying physical symptoms such as runny and puffy eyes, sneezing and an itchy, runny or blocked nose, as well as psychological symptoms such as fatigue, irritability and sleep disturbance.

Teenagers and young adults are affected the most by hayfever.

The pollen count is at its peak just before 9am and again between 3pm and 7pm

A third of hayfever sufferers experience the worst symptoms at breakfast time.

Alex Emery