Hayfever affects exam results - BBC interview with Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Education and Research, Education for Health

7 July 2010

Research published in 2007 demonstrated a link between hayfever and exam performance¹.  The study showed that young people, who had hayfever symptoms (including sneezing, blocked nose and itchy eyes) on the day they took their GCSE exam, were 40% more likely to drop a grade between their "mock" and final examinations than those without hayfever.

This is an important issue for students at this already stressful time in the school calendar and we believe that a small amount of education about the different medications available, and the importance of taking them as early as possible, could make an enormous difference to the long term sucess of thousands of school children and students across the UK.

Healthcare professionals based in primary care are in a particularly strong position to truly make a difference and help equip these children and students with the information that they need in order to optimise their hayfever symptom management.   

Watch the BBC interview 'Hayfever affects exam results' with Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Education and Research at Education for Health

References:

1. Walker S, Khan-Wasti S, Fletcher M, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007;120 (2):381-38

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