Hay fever sufferers have it worse today than in 1990s - here's why

If it feels like hay fever is hitting harder every year, you're not imagining it.

Hay fever sufferers have symptoms for up to two weeks longer than in the 1990s, a new review has found.

Climate change has "prolonged the pollen season" by up to two weeks, increasing the amount of time people with hay fever are exposed to allergens, according to the Lancet Countdown in Europe 2026 report.

The new report says global warming is impacting the flowering season of plants that release allergenic pollen.

Changes in the timing and intensity of birch, alder and olive pollen season were analysed in the study.

An earlier season start of one to two weeks was found for all allergenic trees between 2015 and 2024 compared with 1991 to 2000, according to the research.

Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, said a longer pollen season "will bring more misery for people with hay fever".

She added: "If people are allergic to pollen, it can inflame their airways and cause terrifying breathing conditions, which can lead to life-threatening asthma attacks and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) flare-ups."

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Anne Biggs, from the charity Allergy UK, said hay fever impacts millions of people in the UK, and research into the timing and length of pollen seasons is "vital".

"Details on longer pollen seasons are essential in the understanding and management of allergic conditions associated with pollens and air quality," she added.

The report on climate change and health in Europe, published in The Lancet Public Health, was written by 65 researchers from 46 academic and UN institutions.

A separate allergy strategy, spearheaded by charities, patients and doctors, says the UK has some of the highest allergy rates in the world – with 39% of children and 30% of adults affected.

It warns that care and treatment for allergies are "dramatically under-resourced" within the NHS.

(c) Sky News 2026: Hay fever sufferers have it worse today than in 1990s - here's why