The Hay Fever Season
Hay fever is a reaction to pollens and spores, so the season follows the flowering of the plants that produce them. That makes it far longer than most people expect. It can begin in February and run well into the autumn.
It also explains why two people with hay fever can have entirely different years.
What matters is not when the season starts in general, but which pollen you happen to react to.
Tree Pollen: February To May
Tree pollens are the first to appear, usually released from March onwards, though a mild winter can bring them forward to February. Birch and oak are the most common culprits in the UK.
If your symptoms arrive early in the spring, while everyone else is still enjoying the first warm days, tree pollen is the likely cause.
Grass Pollen: May To September
Grass pollen affects more people than any other trigger, and it tends to produce the worst symptoms. It is in the air from May to September, with the highest levels in June and July. This is the period most people mean when they talk about hay fever season.
Weed Pollen & Fungal Spores: Late Summer To Autumn
Weed pollens and fungal spores come last, becoming a problem from late summer and continuing into the autumn. Nettle, dock and Mugwort are common sources, and spores are released as vegetation begins to die back.
If your symptoms persist after the grass pollen has cleared, or only appear once the summer is ending, this is usually why.
Knowing Your Own Season
Because the triggers arrive at different times, it is worth paying attention to when your symptoms begin and end each year. Most people find the pattern repeats.
Once you know roughly when your season starts, you can be ready for it rather than reacting to it. The Hay-Band can be put on before your symptoms begin, and there is no reason not to wear it for the whole of the period that affects you.