Visits to the hay fever advice on the NHS website have more than doubled in the past week as the country is set for the hottest day of the year ahead of the bank holiday weekend.

There have been 19,562 visits to the hay fever page on nhs.uk in the past 72 hours (Monday to Wednesday), compared to 8,390 for the same period last week.

Yesterday (Wednesday) was the busiest day of the year so far with 7,356 visits – an average of one visit every 12 seconds – following a Met Office forecast of very high pollen levels across the Midlands and South of England.

Duncan Burton, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said: “While I’m sure most people will be delighted to be able to enjoy the warmth and sunshine at this time of year, the warm weather brings an increase in the pollen count that can cause discomfort for hay fever sufferers.

“Most people will be able to manage their symptoms with medication that is available off the shelf from community pharmacies and supermarkets, and the NHS website has more advice on how to deal with the discomfort.”

There is currently no cure for hay fever, which usually hits between late March and September when the weather is warm, windy and humid, and the pollen count is at its highest.

The symptoms include sneezing, coughing, a runny or blocked nose, as well as red, itchy, or watery eyes. Sufferers can also experience headaches, earache or lose their sense of smell.

The NHS hay fever page details several ways people can ease their symptoms including staying indoors, keeping their windows shut, and coating their nostrils with Vaseline to trap the pollen.

The page also offers advice on different treatments available from pharmacists and recommends when people should seek help from their GP.

The NHS website, which is managed by NHS England, is the UK’s biggest health website with around 701 million visits throughout 2024 from people seeking information and advice.

It includes over 4,000 pages and provides information about 990 medical conditions. Other health services available on the website include applying for a free UK Global Health Insurance Card for healthcare cover abroad and finding a finding a GP.

For more information visit the nhs.uk website.