The surge in hay fever is rooted in our modern lifestyles

Obsessive hygiene, antibiotics and car exhausts are blamed for hay fever now affecting 20% of Britain's population

This has been the worst month for hay fever for 12 years. Grasses had perfect growing conditions over late April and in May with warm sunshine and showers. That was followed in June by hot dry conditions when the grass flowers matured and shed clouds of pollen on light breezes and up people's noses.

The strange thing is that hay fever was incredibly rare when it was first reported by John Bostoc, a London doctor, nearly 200 years ago. Yet in those days far more people lived and worked in the countryside, where grasses grew everywhere.