Exam time and high pollen counts often coincide which is bad news for students taking exams.

Students who suffer from hayfever can have their exam performance affected.

At least 280,000 students with hayfever will be taking key exams in the UK this summer when grass pollen counts are at their highest. A study published last year showed that young people with hayfever are 40% more likely to drop a grade between their "mock" and final GCSE exams than those without hayfever, showing that hayfever can have a real impact on exam performance.

It's a cruel coincidence that means that hay fever sufferers are being punished twice - once with the symptoms and twice with impaired exam performance.

Some facts about hayfever
Hayfever is estimated to affect 15 million people in the UK and its incidence has tripled over the last 20 years.

Hayfever affects nearly 40% of children4 and has a peak age of onset in adolescence - exactly when exam pressure is at its highest.

Grass pollen counts are at their highest between mid-May and end of June. In this time an estimated 1.3m students sit exams such as GCSE, AS/A2 and university finals.

Symptoms of hay fever
Symptoms of hayfever, which include blocked nose, sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and poor smell can affect people 24 hours a day.
The most troublesome symptom is nasal congestion, with 85% of people with hayfever suffering from it. This symptom in particular can have a major impact on the patient's quality of life, notably, emotional function, productivity and the ability to perform daily activities.
40% of patients with hayfever report it has a moderate or severe impact on their sleep, correlating to an estimated 6 million people with hayfever in the UK experiencing sleep disturbance due to their symptoms.
36% of sufferers report a moderate to severe impact on their daily activities.

Summary of the findings
  • Students who have hayfever symptoms on an exam day are 40% more likely to drop a grade between their mock and final GCSE exams than students without hayfever.
  • Students who have a history of hayfever symptoms in previous years and who have moderate/severe symptoms on any exam day are more than twice as likely to drop a grade.
  • Students taking sedating antihistamines to manage their hayfever symptoms at the time of their exams are 70% more likely to drop a grade between their mock and final exams.
  • Despite current guidelines recommending the use of non-sedating antihistamines, 28% of those taking hayfever medication in the study were taking a sedating antihistamine.


What to do if you suffer from hay fever
Students who suffer with hayfever should be aware of the potential impact of symptoms during exam time and ensure they speak to their practice nurse, GP or pharmacist if their symptoms are bothering them. For more information contact Allergy UK at http://www.allergyuk.org/ or on 01322 619898.


This content was created on Fri 6 June 2008

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