Hay fever and allergy guides
Short, practical guides for living with hay fever and allergies in Ireland, in season and out of it.
Spring and summer
- Thunderstorm asthma: what it is and how to stay safeWhen storms hit on High pollen days, pollen can burst into tiny pieces that reach deep into the lungs. It can trigger sudden asthma, even in people who have never had it.
- Sleeping with hay fever: 9 things that helpPollen falls as the air cools in the evening, and you carry it in on your hair and clothes. Keeping it out of the bedroom makes the biggest difference.
- Hay fever and the Leaving Cert: a plan for exam seasonState exams start in early June, just as grass pollen takes off. Starting treatment early and avoiding drowsy remedies makes a real difference.
Winter
Year round
- Hay fever or a cold? How to tell the differenceItchy eyes, clear mucus and no temperature point to hay fever. A sore throat first, aches and thicker mucus point to a cold.
- How pollen forecasts work, and what Low to Very high meanpollen.ie uses the Copernicus atmosphere forecast, which models how much pollen trees and grass release and where the wind carries it, hour by hour.