UK households urged to shower before bed this summer

People across the UK are being urged to shower before bed this summer to help tackle one common ailment this time of year.

affects as many as one in five adults in the UK, which can turn the bright, warm summer months into weeks of misery and suffering as cold-like symptoms, sneezing, itchy eyes and runny nose threaten to ruin the best time of the year.

According to pharmaceutical company , different types of affect people at different times of the year. Right now, in early spring, tree pollen is most common, whereas later on grass takes over, and then weed pollen becomes strong in autumn.

They said: " is an allergy to pollen, which commonly causes symptoms similar to those of a cold; a runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing and congestion. Unlike a cold, which lasts around 3-7 days, hayfever symptoms last as long as you are exposed to the allergen and can get particularly bad when pollen levels are high.

" symptoms occur when the body's immune system mistakenly identifies pollen as a threat and produces an antibody called immunoglobulin to fight it off.

"The kind of pollen that people are allergic to can vary, with grass pollen being the most common allergen. This is why the vast majority of hay fever sufferers notice their symptoms are at their worst in the late Spring and Summer. However, people can suffer from hay fever due to a variety of pollens; tree pollen is at its peak in the Spring, weed pollen is more common in Autumn and spores from fungi peak in warm weather. Identifying which kind you are allergic to will, in turn, help you to manage your symptoms."

But anyone who does suffer from hay fever is being urged to take one step before bed every evening - having a shower.

According to UK Meds, regular showers will wash away pollen caught in your hair and on your skin and can help give you relief from symptoms for the night ahead.

They said: "Showering after being outdoors can be a helpful step in managing hay fever symptoms by removing allergens caught on your body and providing a refreshing effect after being outdoors.

"As well as regular showers, you may want to wash or rinse your hair more during hay fever season as pollen can settle on your hair and stick to strands of hair easily."