People with asthma and hayfever are being advised to be aware of the triggers and manage their symptoms when attending festivals and outdoor events this summer.
With almost one in five people in Ireland suffering from hay fever and over 470,000 from asthma, the Asthma Society of Ireland is advising people to be prepared in order to avoid unnecessary sneezing, wheezing and watery eyes, but, most importantly, to avoid triggering a serious asthma attack during these fun outdoor events.
Kevin Kelly, Advocacy and Communications Manager at the Asthma Society says “We know from experience that people often forget to bring their inhalers and hayfever medication to festivals. The advice is simple: keep your inhalers with you at all times and have a back-up with you in case of loss.”
“Make sure you and your friends know what to do in an emergency and that you know where the medical tent is located. If you suffer from hayfever, make sure you have an adequate supply of your medication and check daily pollen levels at asthma.ie.”
The Asthma Society of Ireland advises people with asthma and or hayfever when attending festivals this season:
- Be prepared: Have a plan in place to manage your hayfever and asthma and know where the medical tents are
- Remember your medication; bring a backup supply if attending a festival or event
- Eat well, avoid or reduce alcohol intake, never smoke
- Aware of the current pollen forecast on asthma.ie
- Tell your friends about your asthma or hayfever, make sure they know what to do in an emergency
- Have an Asthma Attack card with you at all times, available at asthma.ie
Asthma is a chronic condition which affects almost half a million people in Ireland with up to 80% of those also having hay fever.
Grass pollen is the most common allergen with 90% of people with hayfever affected by it. A live Pollen Feed, sponsored by Dyson and GSK, is available here. Possible triggers for hayfever include weather changes, pollen, moulds, dust, exercise, alcohol, and air pollutants such as cigarette smoke and aerosols - all of which are common at a festival or outdoor event.
The Asthma Society of Ireland’s free patient Asthma Adviceline offers patients the chance to ask an asthma nurse specialist confidential questions about their asthma. Call 1800 44 54 64, Monday to Friday, 09:00 - 17:00, to book an appointment with the Asthma Adviceline nurse.
