Spring in Melbourne brings longer days, warmer weather and, for a lot of people, a stuffy nose and itchy eyes. This year's season is shaping up to be an active one.
Why Melbourne gets hit so hard
Hay fever, also called allergic rhinitis, affects roughly one in five people in Melbourne, and a little under one in four Australians overall. The main trigger is grass pollen, and the city's location makes the problem worse. Perennial ryegrass is grown widely on farmland to the north-west of Melbourne for livestock feed, and it produces a huge amount of pollen. When northerly winds blow, that pollen travels towards the city.
Researchers at the University of Melbourne recently used DNA testing on air samples to find out which grasses are really behind the spring pollen cloud. Ryegrass came out well in front. Other grasses, such as velvet grass and sweet vernal grass, played a much smaller part, and the grasses common on lawns and sports fields barely registered.
What to expect this year
Victoria has just had its wettest winter in a decade, and Melbourne's warmest winter on record. Lots of rain followed by warm weather means lots of plant growth, and more growth can mean more pollen. Melbourne Pollen, which monitors the city's air, has said conditions look better suited to a big season than last year, when the city recorded five extreme and fifteen high grass pollen days.
Tree pollen arrives first. Cypress trees have already pushed a number of days into the extreme range this spring. Grass pollen season officially starts on 1 October and usually runs through to December, with the peak often landing in October.
It is not the same everywhere. Forecasters expect the heaviest pollen in western and central Victoria, while Gippsland, which is drier, may have a quieter season. There is also a chance that an El Niño pattern brings hotter, drier conditions that dry out the grass and shorten the season, although that is far from certain.
Pollen counts are published every day through spring. Checking the forecast before you head out is one of the easiest ways to plan your day.
Thunderstorm asthma: the one to take seriously
Hay fever is miserable, but thunderstorm asthma is a different level of risk. It can happen when a certain kind of storm arrives on a day when grass pollen is very high. Moisture and wind can break pollen grains into tiny fragments that are small enough to be breathed deep into the lungs, and that can trigger breathing difficulty even in people who have never had asthma.
Melbourne experienced the largest event of this kind ever recorded in November 2016, when thousands of people needed urgent help in a single evening. This November marks ten years since. Victoria's Department of Health now issues daily thunderstorm asthma forecasts through the grass pollen season, and they are available through the VicEmergency app.
If you have asthma, or you get hay fever symptoms every spring, it is worth speaking to your GP about an asthma action plan before the season ramps up, not during it.
Common symptoms
- Sneezing, often in runs
- A runny, blocked or itchy nose
- Red, watery or itchy eyes
- An itchy throat or a dry cough
Planning ahead
- Watch the pollen forecast. The Melbourne Pollen service and apps such as AirRater show current pollen levels and what is coming.
- Plan around high days. Windy days and the hours after a hot day tend to be the toughest. Keep windows closed when counts are high.
- Think about timing. If you use something to manage your symptoms, it is worth asking your pharmacist whether starting before the peak makes sense for you.
- Clean up after being outdoors. Changing your clothes and rinsing off can remove pollen you have carried inside.
- Know when to get more help. If your symptoms are severe, getting worse, or affecting sleep or daily life, or if you have asthma, see your GP.
How your pharmacist can help
There is a range of options available from a pharmacy for the symptoms of hay fever, and what suits one person will not suit another. Your pharmacist can talk through your symptoms, check anything else you take, and point you to the right option, or let you know if it is time to see a doctor. For people whose hay fever is hard to control, a GP can also discuss referral to an allergy specialist and longer-term options.
Sources: Pursuit, University of Melbourne; The Conversation; ABC News.
