Looking after your asthma in hay fever season

Hay fever can be an asthma trigger. Here’s what you need to know about managing your symptoms.

Hay fever can trigger asthma symptoms

In the UK, 5.4 million people have asthma, a long-term condition in which your airways become inflamed, making it hard to breathe. Around 80% of people with asthma*** also have hay fever which is caused by a reaction to pollen from grass, trees and weeds, commonly released during the spring and summer months. If your asthma is triggered by hay fever, you may experience shortness of breath, a tight chest and wheezing, as well as hay fever symptoms.

Asthma inhalers are an essential

There is help available in the form of two different types of asthma pumps or inhalers. To manage your asthma, carry your blue asthma inhaler with you at all times. This works to relax muscles in your airways, easing your symptoms on the spot. You should also continue using your preventer inhaler, or brown asthma inhaler, as prescribed. This contains a low-dose steroid which helps reduce the sensitivity and swelling in your airways to prevent wheezing and coughing. It’s easy to order your prescribed asthma inhalers online via Echo, the LloydsPharmacy online NHS repeat prescription service*.

Treating your hay fever

Research shows that if you treat your hay fever as well as your asthma, you’ll cut your risk of going to hospital with an asthma attack. Speak to your GP or pharmacist about the best medicine to treat your symptoms. Once you have a repeat prescription in place, you can order your regular prescribed medicines online via Echo by LloydsPharmacy.

If asthma symptoms become extreme

If your asthma symptoms become more extreme – for example, if you are using your blue inhaler more than twice a week, or experiencing asthma symptoms at night – your GP may increase your steroid dose or switch you to a combined inhaler. If you are struggling to manage your hay fever with the usual treatments, it could trigger your asthma symptoms or an asthma attack, so speak to your GP. Remember, you can order your regular prescribed medicines via Echo by LloydsPharmacy.

Online prescription of asthma inhalers

Make sure you place a repeat order of your regular prescribed asthma inhalers through Echo by LloydsPharmacy and get them delivered to your door. It’s wise to keep an emergency back-up inhaler to ensure you never have asthma symptoms you can’t treat in a jiffy.

NHS prescriptions delivered for free with ECHO

We understand that when you’re busy, it can be difficult to make time to collect your prescription. That’s why Echo at LloydsPharmacy works with your NHS GP to take care of your repeat prescriptions, delivering them to your door. Sign up to Echo at LloydsPharmacy today at echo.co.uk or download the app.

*Echo, the LloydsPharmacy online NHS repeat prescription service is available in England only.

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