APRIL showers bring May flowers, or so the saying goes. But those beautiful spring blooms - and their plentiful pollen - mean sneezing, runny noses and itchy eyes for many people. If this is you, and if you live in the UK, you can become a citizen sensor this spring by downloading the #BritainBreathing app and using it to record any allergy symptoms you develop. Doing so will help researchers learn more about when allergy symptoms are occurring at a population level and what the precise triggers are. Even if you don't live in the UK, you can still download the app and use it for personal symptom tracking. About one in four people in the UK experience seasonal allergies, such as hay fever and asthma, and the incidence seems to be on the rise. The main culprit behind these ailments is pollen, with different types in the air at different times of year, but other factors such as the weather or levels of air pollution may also play a role.
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