Hay fever sufferers warned of long sneezy summer The Health Protection Agency has also reported that there had been an increase in enquiries about eye problems particularly among children, which is thought to be due to the increase in grass pollen. Grasses, which account for the majority of hay fever cases, have produced so much pollen due to the wet conditions this year they are expected to continue releasing it into August. The grass pollen season usually ends at the start of July. Weeds such as nettles, dock plants and common plantain have also enjoyed a bumper growing season because of the rainfall and are also expected to send pollen counts up further this year. Beverley Adams-Groom, chief palynologist at the National Pollen Research Unit at the University of Worcester, said: "We are getting a lot of intermittent rainy days that are sending the pollen counts up and down at the moment. We can expect this very changeable weather to extend the pollen season. We can see a continued risk for a long time yet, probably into the beginning of August as have got better grass growth this year. Hay fever is caused by allergies to pollen, a fine powder that is released by plants when they reproduce. It can trigger symptoms including intense itching in the eyes, sneezing and running sinuses. In serious cases it can trigger asthma attacks. While many plants rely upon insects to transfer their pollen to their neighbours, allowing them to produce seeds, some plants use the wind to disperse their pollen. Most people are allergic to pollen from just one type of plant but some are affected by multiple types. Forecasters believe continued wet weather through the summer will help clear the pollen from the air and prevent levels reaching those seen in the summers of 2005 and 2006 when it was exceptionally high. But it could also result in bumper crops of fungi, which can release spores into the air. An estimated three per cent of hay fever sufferers are allergic to these spores. Philip Sachon, health business manager at the Met Office, which provides daily pollen forecasts, said: "All the rain we have had can help to suppress the pollen count in the short term by washing it out of the air but it does mean everything gets growing really well. On the warmer dry days it will mean the pollen counts will get quite high. We are going to continue seeing high and possibly very high pollen counts on any nice sunny days. If we continue to get good growth in weeds as well, there will be a lot of high pollen from them too. He added, however, that there may be one way for hay fever sufferers to escape the misery on the warm, dry days when pollen counts rise. He said: "The coast is a good place to go for some respite as the wind comes off the sea and tends to carry less pollen. So on days when the pollen count is high, it is a good day to head to the beach.