If you have hay fever, you are allergic to pollen - the microscopic grain released by the male part of a flower. So you’ll be only too familiar with the following allergy symptoms:

• Sneezing
• Itchy nose, mouth, throat, eyes
• Watery eyes
• Blocked or streaming nose

Allergen avoidance is not easy when it comes to pollen, but it’s not impossible. Pollen grains are small and light (ranging in size from 0.5 to 100 microns) and they are very widely dispersed - so pollen allergy is as much a problem in the city as in the country. Indeed, pollen grains have even been found several miles out at sea - that’s how far they can travel. It’s really useful to be aware of exactly what type of pollen you are allergic too (this can be done by skin prick tests at an allergy clinic such as the Read More

The pollen season is in full bloom and there is a cluster of bank holidays coming up. So for some of you, thoughts are turning to home improvements and spring cleaning! A few days is all you need to start allergy-proofing your home and deal with any indoor air quality issues that can affect your family's allergy symptoms. To practice the best allergen avoidance, we've come up with a few ideas in the area of dusting, carpets and paint/VOCs.

• Dust & Dust Mite Allergens. If you have asthma or another allergy, dust is one of your biggest enemies. The main component of dust is dead skin scales, which is food for house dust mites. Therefore, dust also contains house dust mite and it's droppings - which can cause severe allergic reactions.

One of the main pollen forecast websites in the UK opens its 2011 season on March 17th. If you have pollen allergies, hay fever, or your asthma is triggered by pollen, you’ll be only too familiar with seasonal cycles. If you’re not, here’s how it tends to go:

• Tree pollen (oak, willow, birch, sycamore) is around from late winter to early summer
• Grass (rye, oat, foxtail) pollen peaks in the summer
• Then you get weed pollen (nettle, dock) peaking in August
• In the autumn, it is the turn of fungal spores
• And as winter sets in, you finally get some relief!

Some people who have allergies all year round (such as pet allergies or dust mite allergies for example), might not be effected by being exposed to a high pollen count. However, most people who have asthma or allergies react to more then one trigger and