Doctors' Notes: Hay fever

What's Up Docs?

BBC

Health & Fitness, Nature, Science

4.4 • 659 Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2026

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this Doctors' Notes episode of What’s Up Docs?, Chris and Xand van Tulleken take a deeper dive into hay fever with Professor Stephen Till.

The docs and their guest explore whether hay fever is really becoming more common, and if so, why. From climate change and air pollution to changes in our environment and biodiversity, they unpack the factors that may be making symptoms worse. They also look at how hay fever varies around the world, including why treatments like allergy injections are more widely used in some countries than others. Along the way, they tackle common myths and share practical advice for managing hay fever more effectively.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk or Whatsapp on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Producer: Jo Rowntree Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Editor: Kirsten Lass Assistant Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis Researcher: Grace Revill Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable Social Media: Leon Gower Digital Lead: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby

At the BBC: Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:06.9	Before you jump into your BBC podcasts, I want to tell you more about news podcasts on BBC sounds,
0:12.9	whether you want to keep on top of the latest news.
0:15.3	There's a lot of questions still about how on earth it really all happened.
0:18.8	Or go in depth on the stories behind the headlines.
0:21.0	How should politics respond to this smartphone-led world?
0:23.9	From global events to current affairs at home.
0:26.4	It's head spinning.
0:27.7	The BBC has a wide range of news podcasts to help you make sense of it all.
0:32.2	Listen on BBC Sounds.
0:36.1	Hello, welcome to Doctor's Notes.
0:38.3	I'm Dr. Chris.
0:39.3	I'm Dr. Zand.
0:40.3	We've just finished recording an interview with Professor Stephen Till.
0:43.5	We've been talking about hay fever.
0:45.5	That's right.
0:46.0	And in the main episode, we covered what it is, what causes it, and the importance of early
0:51.3	treatment, I would say, and the main treatment strategies.
0:54.1	And we talked about how you can treat yourself and... And the scale of the problem, I would say, in the main treatment strategies.
0:56.5	And we talked about how you can treat yourself and... And the scale of the problem.
0:57.7	Like, this is a big problem.
1:00.6	Well, Stephen was generous enough to stay on with us for further conversation in doctors' notes.
	...

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