One in four Australians hit by hay fever as spring starts a month early
More than six million Australians now have hay fever, with spring pollen arriving up to a month earlier than expected.
More than six million Australians are battling hay fever this spring. One in four are now affected, up from one in five in 2018.
A relatively mild winter combined with wet weather created ideal growing conditions. Plants and grasses flowered up to a month earlier than usual.
Early flowering means more pollen in the atmosphere, lingering longer and triggering symptoms across the country. Spring is particularly hard for hay fever sufferers because pollen and grass are their main triggers.
Thunderstorms will amplify the effect. Moisture breaks pollen grains into tiny particles that penetrate deeper into airways.
People with asthma face the highest risk, though thunderstorm asthma can also affect hay fever sufferers.
- More than 6 million
- Australians with hay fever
- 1 in 4
- Affected population
- Up to a month earlier
- Early flowering timeline
- Up from 1 in 5
- Change since 2018
Why it mattersMillions of Australians will experience worse symptoms earlier this year, affecting work, sleep and daily life.
AustraliaSix million-plus Australians with hay fever will face worse symptoms this season, with extra risk during spring thunderstorms.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
