What is the pollen count today in the UK?
Check the pollen count in your area. Search below by UK Postcode, including London.
If you understand the daily pollen count in your area, then you can better manage your allergies, especially if you suffer from hay fever. You can use our pollen count tool to check the pollen levels for today and the pollen forecast for tomorrow in your local area. Simply enter your postcode.
The tool will then show you the data for the following pollens in the UK:
- Tree Pollen (Hazel, Alder, Ash, Birch, Cottonwood, Oak, Olive, Pine). The different types of tree pollen will peak throughout the year. If no pollen data is available, this will show N/A under the corresponding pollen type.
- Grass Pollen
- Weeds Pollen (Ragweed, Mugwort)
The readings will depend on the seasonality of each of these pollens and their reported count. The overall pollen season starts in late March with tree pollens and peaks around June and July when the grass pollen is released during the summer months. As most people are allergic to grass pollen, these months tend to affect most people with hayfever.
Holistic Allergy Pollen Calendar
Why Does Pollen Count Matter?
Pollen, the tiny, airborne particles from plants, is one of the most common triggers for allergy symptoms. These symptoms of pollen allergy range from sneezing, blocked nose, and itchy and red eyes to more severe reactions in individuals with heightened sensitivities. If suffering from asthma, you may also need more regular use of your medication, particularly your blue Salbutamol pump, to avoid symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath.
If suffering more from allergic rhinitis, you might need more regular use of a nasal spray with steroids.
Knowing the pollen count can help you prepare and achieve allergy relief more effectively.
Spring and Summer are usually the peak allergy seasons. This is also when you get the highest amount of pollen floating in the outside air.
Different types of pollens, such as tree, grass, and weed pollens, dominate the air. Each type affects individuals differently.
By tracking the specific pollen counts, you can identify which pollens you are most sensitive to and take appropriate actions, like adjusting medication, planning outdoor activities, or implementing air purification measures at home.
If unsure about which pollen triggers your symptoms, the best way to find out is to get an allergy test. At Holistic Allergy we conduct skin prick testing to all available pollens. This can give you instant results (within 15-20 minutes) about what your allergies are, so you can be better prepared in the future.
What does skin prick testing involve?
Skin prick testing is the gold standard way of diagnosing an allergy. This could be an allergy to aeroallergens such as pollen or dust, or even to food or some chemicals.
At our clinic we can test each type of pollen individually using extracts such as the ones below:
During the allergy test, we put a small drop of the concerning allergen on your forearm. We then prick through each individual drop with a very tiny lancet. The pricking does not hurt as it is shallow enough to only prick the most superficial layer of the skin, and no blood should be coming out. This is done in a controlled clinical environment and is necessary so the allergen can penetrate the thick skin barrier.
Within about 15-20 minutes, a wheal will start forming at the site if you are allergic to a specific type of pollen. The severity of your allergy will correspond to the size of the reaction.
At Holistic Allergy, we only use allergen extracts by Allergy Therapeutics, which is the leading company in allergy testing consumables.
We also conduct our skin prick testing at Nuffield Hospital, which is the safest place for an allergy test to be conducted, in the very rare cases that severe reactions occur.
How Our Pollen Count Tracker Works
Our innovative tool is designed with simplicity and accuracy in mind. Here’s how to use it if you live in the UK:
- Enter Your Postcode: Start by entering your UK postcode into the tracker. This allows the tool to provide location-specific pollen count data. You may also enter the name of a city in the UK, but this will not always work and may lack in accuracy.
- View Today’s Pollen Count: The algorithm behind the tracker will display the current day’s pollen count for various pollens, including tree, grass, and weed pollens. Sometimes certain pollen data may not be available. This tends to occur during periods of low pollen count such as in the winter.
- Check Tomorrow’s Forecast: Plan by viewing the pollen count forecast for the next day. You can use this feature to better schedule your outdoor activities for the next day, or just to be better prepared in case of a high pollen count.
Do your allergy symptoms increase on high pollen count days? If you think that you may be allergic to pollen, the next step would be to get an allergy test. Skin prick testing is the gold standard in allergy diagnosis, but there are other options too, such as a blood IgE blood test. We usually do the latter when a skin prick test is not suitable. This could also be if your skin is irritated or affected by eczema or urticaria for example.
Use the tracker now to find out the pollen count for both today and tomorrow and whether a high count could be affecting your allergy symptoms!
Get in touch with us to book your allergy specialist consultation or allergy test.
Before your allergy test, keep a diary of your symptoms and pollen count levels in your local area. If you notice that your symptoms are worse when a particular tree pollen type for example is high, make a note of this. The symptom diary will give your allergist an indication of which aeroallergens to prioritise testing for.