Why Hay Fever Is Getting Worse and What Actually Helps

If your hay fever seems to start earlier, last longer and hit harder than it used to, you're not imagining it. Pollen seasons across the UK really are changing, and it’s estimated that hay fever now affects almost 10 million people in England, roughly one in four adults, with numbers rising year on year. So what's going on? And if you take your antihistamines faithfully and still spend June with streaming eyes, what does the science say actually helps?

What causes hay fever?

Hay fever, known medically as seasonal allergic rhinitis, happens when your immune system mistakes harmless pollen proteins for a threat. Antibodies called IgE sit primed on immune cells in your nose, eyes and airways, and when pollen lands, those cells release a flood of inflammatory chemicals. The best known is histamine, which drives the sneezing, itching and runny nose. But it isn't working on its own. Other inflammatory messengers, including leukotrienes, cause the swelling and congestion that make the worst weeks so miserable. 

When is pollen season in the UK?

One reason hay fever feels relentless is that pollen season is really three overlapping seasons:

• Tree pollen runs from late March to mid-May, with birch the big offender for many people, alongside oak, ash and plane.
• Grass pollen runs from mid-May to July and is by far the most common trigger. Around nine in ten people with hay fever in the UK react to grass pollen, and the season often peaks twice, in early June and again in early July.
• Weed pollen, including nettle, dock and mugwort, runs from June into September.

If you're sensitised to more than one type, your personal season can stretch from early spring to early autumn.

Is hay fever really getting worse?

Yes, and the evidence is increasing. Research published in The Lancet in April 2026 found that pollen seasons in the UK and mainland Europe now begin one to two weeks earlier than in the 1990s, as warmer temperatures and rising carbon dioxide levels let plants produce more pollen for longer. The same analysis found the seasonal severity of birch and alder pollen has risen by 15 to 20 per cent in the southern UK. Climate change is also helping invasive species such as common ragweed, with its highly allergenic, late-season pollen, spread across Europe.

More of us are affected, too. Allergy UK puts allergic rhinitis at around 26 per cent of UK adults, while a 2020 survey found as many as 49 per cent of people reported hay fever symptoms. The UK already has some of the highest rates of allergic disease in the world.

Does where you live make a difference?

It does, but not in the way you'd expect. A UK study tracking real-time symptoms found that people in urban areas reported more severe symptoms than those in rural areas, even when rural pollen counts were higher. Air pollution appears to be the missing piece in the jigsaw. Pollutants such as diesel exhaust particles can rupture pollen grains into smaller fragments that travel deeper into the airways, chemically alter pollen to make it more allergenic, and inflame the airway lining so the same exposure produces a larger reaction.

Why don't antihistamines work for everyone?

Antihistamines do exactly what the name says: they block histamine. That makes them genuinely effective for sneezing, itching and a runny nose. But histamine is only one of several chemicals involved, and the congestion that bothers many people the most is driven by ongoing inflammation that antihistamines barely touch. In one UK general practice survey, fewer than 40% of people with hay fever reported good symptom control on standard treatment. If that's you, it usually means the plan needs adjusting rather than completely abandoning:

• Steroid nasal sprays are considered the single most effective treatment because they calm the underlying inflammation, easing congestion as well as sneezing. They take days to weeks to reach full effect, so start around two weeks before your season and use them every day, not just when symptoms flare. Technique matters too: aim the spray slightly outwards, away from the middle wall of the nose.
• Not all antihistamines suit everyone. If one type gives little relief, ask your pharmacist about switching.
• Saline nasal rinses physically wash pollen out of the nose and are a simple, drug-free addition.

If you've done all of that consistently and you're still struggling, speak to your GP. Poorly controlled hay fever is linked to disturbed sleep, poorer concentration and asthma flare-ups, and it isn't something you simply have to put up with.

Do hay fever injections really work?

Two very different things get called 'the hay fever injection'. The first is the steroid jab, often known as Kenalog. It's no longer offered on the NHS and isn't licensed for hay fever in the UK: it suppresses the whole immune system for weeks, can't be removed once injected, and carries a side effect profile that bodies including Allergy UK consider out of proportion to the benefit. Some private clinics still offer it off-licence, but allergy specialists advise against it.

The second is allergen immunotherapy, and that's a different story. It retrains the immune system with gradually increasing doses of your trigger pollen, by injection or a daily under-the-tongue tablet, and it's the only treatment that addresses the cause rather than the symptoms. A landmark trial in the New England Journal of Medicine showed three to four years of grass pollen immunotherapy produced benefits lasting at least three years after treatment stopped. It's available on the NHS via specialist referral for severe hay fever that hasn't responded to conventional treatment, so it's a conversation worth having with your GP.

Does local honey help hay fever?

It's perhaps the best-loved remedy of all: a daily spoonful of local honey, the theory being that traces of local pollen work like a gentle, homespun immunotherapy. Sadly, the science doesn't really support it. The pollen in honey comes from the insect-pollinated flowers bees visit, while hay fever is caused by lightweight, wind-borne pollen from grasses and trees, which bees largely ignore. A well-designed University of Connecticut study comparing local honey, processed honey and a honey-flavoured placebo found no difference in symptoms. One small Malaysian trial was more positive, so the door isn't entirely closed, but enjoy local honey because it's delicious, not as a treatment.

Can nutrition support you through pollen season?

Let's be clear first: hay fever is a medical condition, and no food or supplement can treat it. What nutrition can do is support the system doing all the hard work, your immune system, and there's some genuinely interesting research here.

Quercetin, a flavonoid found in onions, apples, capers and berries, has attracted attention because laboratory studies show it can stabilise mast cells, the immune cells that release histamine. Small human trials have reported encouraging results, but larger ones are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn. Vitamin D is another active research area: low status is common in the UK after winter, just as tree pollen season begins, and vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system. The gut is the newest frontier, since a large share of your immune system sits around the digestive tract, and reviews of probiotic trials in allergic rhinitis have reported improvements in quality of life scores, though the evidence is still being collected and assessed. Eating for a diverse gut microbiome, with plenty of fibre, fermented foods and a wide range of plants rich in vitamin C, which also contributes to normal immune function, supports the immune system's home ground.

For personalised guidance, a BANT-registered nutrition practitioner can look at your diet and circumstances as a whole, which is always more useful than chasing single ingredients.

Practical ways to reduce your pollen exposure

• Check the pollen forecast and plan outdoor time for after rain, when counts are lower.
• Wear wraparound sunglasses and apply a barrier balm, like Vaseline, around your nostrils.
• Shower, wash your hair and change clothes when you come home on high pollen days.
• Dry laundry indoors during the season you’re most sensitive to pollen; washing hung out on the line collects pollen beautifully!
• Keep windows closed in the early morning, when pollen is released, and in the evening, when it descends as the air cools.

The bottom line

Hay fever is becoming progressively more problematic, with longer seasons, more potent pollen and more people affected. But suffering through it isn't your only option. Start treatment before your sensitivity-season begins, ask for help when standard treatment isn't enough, and support your immune system with good everyday nutrition. And the honey? Keep it for your toast.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my hay fever worse this year?

Pollen seasons in the UK now start one to two weeks earlier than in the 1990s, and the severity of some tree pollens has risen by 15 to 20 per cent in the southern UK. A warm, dry spring after a wet winter also tends to produce a heavy grass pollen season.

Can you develop hay fever as an adult?

Yes. It often begins in childhood, but it can appear at any age, and rising pollen exposure and air pollution may be contributing to more adult-onset cases.

Does rain help hay fever?

Usually, yes, as steady rain washes pollen out of the air. Thunderstorms are the exception: they can rupture pollen into tiny fragments that reach deep into the lungs, so if you have hay fever and asthma, stay indoors during summer storms and keep your reliever inhaler to hand.

Should I start treatment before symptoms begin?

Many specialists suggest starting steroid nasal sprays around two weeks before you would expect to experience symptoms, as prevention works better than playing catch-up once inflammation is established. Your pharmacist or GP can help you plan this.

References

1. Allergy UK. Statistics and figures. allergyuk.org/about-allergy/statistics-and-figures
2. Lancet Countdown in Europe (2026). Indicator report on health and climate change, pollen season findings. The Lancet, April 2026.
3. Ziello C, et al. (2012). Changes to airborne pollen counts across Europe. PLoS One, 7(4), e34076. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3325983/
4. Vigo M, et al. (2023). A comparison of experience sampled hay fever symptom severity across rural and urban areas of the UK. Scientific Reports. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9944909/
5. NHS. Hay fever. 
6. Durham SR, et al. (1999). Long-term clinical efficacy of grass-pollen immunotherapy. New England Journal of Medicine, 341(7), 468-475.
7. Scadding GW, et al. (2017). Effect of 2 years of treatment with sublingual grass pollen immunotherapy on nasal response to allergen challenge at 3 years. JAMA, 317(6), 615-625.
8. Rajan TV, et al. (2002). Effect of ingestion of honey on symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 88(2), 198-203.
9. Asha'ari ZA, et al. (2013). Ingestion of honey improves the symptoms of allergic rhinitis: evidence from a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Annals of Saudi Medicine, 33(5), 469-475.
10. Jafarinia M, et al. (2020). Quercetin with the potential effect on allergic diseases. Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology, 16, 36. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7227109/
11. Zajac AE, Adams AS, Turner JH. (2015). A systematic review and meta-analysis of probiotics for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology, 5(6), 524-532. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25899251/
12. Great Britain Nutrition and Health Claims (NHC) Register.