Seasonal Trends in Major Pollen Allergens in East Anglia, UK, Ipswich Site, with Comparison to Other UK Regions

Grass and birch pollen are major allergens in the United Kingdom (UK), responsible for seasonal respiratory diseases between late March and July. East Anglia is an under-represented region in pollen allergy research, while patterns of continuous days of high pollen levels have not been studied at all. Analysis of pollen statistics and trends in East Anglia addresses a regional gap for pollen exposure in the UK and assesses the intensity of the exposure. Trends and statistics for start, end, length, first high day (FH), number of high days (NH), seasonal pollen integral (SPIn) and number of high days occurring in a run together were presented. Birch pollen occurred from late March to late April, with little indication that onset, end or duration were changing temporally. Severity (SPIn) and the number of days in a run together have increased, in line with severity trends in nearby regions. Grass pollen occurred from late May until the third week in July, with almost no indication of changing trends in this region, apart from a likely earlier first high day. These results inform clinicians that the information and advice on when to treat hay fever symptoms and for how long should not change at the present time.