allergy Winter
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allergy Winter Pharmacists are selling more cold and flu remedies now than they were in the winter as Brits succumb to unseasonable illnesses during the damp summer months. The combination of high temperatures and damp conditions has meant that there has been a 60 per cent increase in flu-related product sales, at a time of year when they are expected to go down. Meanwhile, there has been a 40 per cent drop in sales for allergy medicines - usually associated with summer - as hay fever sufferers find their symptoms are eased. While colds can be caught at any time of year, flu rarely occurs outside of the months between November and February in the UK. And the number of people asking for advice on ailments which usually flare up in winter - including arthritis, sore throats plus aches and pains - has also rocketed. Andy Murdock, pharmacy director of Lloydspharmacy, said that they had seen more and more people suffering from SWISS - or Symptoms of Winter in Summer Syndrome. He said: "We have seen a 60 per cent increase in flu related sales in the last two months which is highly unusual. "It seems that our strange weather is bringing on ailments we usually associate with the colder months. "We've also seen a 40 per cent drop in people coming in with the allergy related complaints you might expect at this time of year. "We have such unusual weather patterns coming through, and the instances of winter illnesses like the flu have increased, so these weather patterns must play a part. "With allergies, you would expect them to be relatively prevalent at the moment. People might say that it's lucky that people are not getting them, but I bet that people in Gloucestershire would rather have hayfever than a flooded house. "The weather is definitely having an effect on people's health and how they feel." And sales of suncream have fallen while sales of aftersun have risen, as people burn after being lulled into a false sense of security by the cloudy weather. Mr Murdock added: "Don't let the wet weather fool you. Ultraviolet radiation is potent and travels right through the clouds, so make sure you, and particularly children, wear a high UVA protection. "We are seeing people come in who just didn't realise how easily and quickly they would burn. "Sun cream sales are down, but sales of after sun products are up which just goes to show that people are feeling the effects of the sun's harmful rays. "We get days where the temperature shoots up to 23 or 24 degrees Celsius, and people think 'oh great, sunshine', and forget about sun protection, which is understandable but less than ideal." |
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