Urgent hot weather warning issued to millions at risk of deadly flare-ups this weekend

MILLIONS of asthma sufferers are at risk of potentially deadly flare-ups this weekend, experts have warned.

"Very high" pollen levels are expected in many parts of the UK as temperatures hit highs of 30C.

The warm weather conditions mean there is a higher chance of people with asthma and other breathing difficulties having life-threatening reactions, according to Asthma + Lung UK.

This could be as mild as breathlessness, wheezing and coughing, or at worst, hospitalisation or a fatal attack.

Emma Rubach, head of health advice at the charity, said: "High pollen levels can be very dangerous for people with conditions like asthma, bringing on serious symptoms like wheezing and breathlessness.

"They can prompt asthma attacks which can be terrifying, leaving them fighting to breathe.

"This can be deadly and around four people already die in the UK each day from an asthma attack.

"For those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it can leave them feeling a lot more breathless than usual and producing more or stickier phlegm, which could require hospital treatment."

Anyone suffering should stay indoors where possible, ensure they use their preventer inhaler as prescribed, and always carry their reliever.

"Treating hay fever symptoms with antihistamine pills and a steroid nasal spray can also help stop an allergic reaction to pollen and prevent already sensitive airways from becoming more inflamed," she added.

Emma urged people to be on the look out for warning signs that hay fever could be affecting their lungs.

"This includes shortness of breath, having a tight chest and wheezing or coughing," she said.

"But there are simple steps they can take now to protect themselves.

"If symptoms are getting much worse however, we’d advise booking an urgent appointment to see their GP or medical professional."

Pollen is a major trigger for almost half the population with asthma, and a quarter of people with COPD.

It means people's airways are narrower and inflamed.

If they are also allergic to pollen and breathe it in, this can cause the muscles around their airways to tighten further.

The lining can then become swollen and inflamed, with a build-up of sticky mucus and leaving them struggling to breathe.

More than five million people in the UK have asthma, and over 1.3million are living with diagnosed COPD - an umbrella term for a group of lung conditions which make it harder to breathe.

In total, over 38 per cent of all people with lung conditions are triggered by pollen. 

The Met Office has issued warnings of "very high" pollen levels in Yorkshire and Humberside, the North West, West Midlands, Wales, East of England, South West, and London and South East England today and early into next week.

In Scotland, levels are "high" in the Dumfries and Galloway and Lothian Borders and Highlands and Eilean Siar, while levels in Northern Ireland are also classed as high.

Grass pollen is the most common hay fever trigger, affecting around 95 per cent of people with the allergic reaction.

Levels are often highest between mid-May and July.

Statistics show that when grass pollen levels are high, there is an increase in the number of people with asthma needing hospital treatment for their symptoms.

There is also some evidence that suggests a link between high levels of grass pollen and increased numbers of COPD hospital admissions.