Pull out the hankies and hunt down the antihistamines, the super sneezy season is upon us.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is predicting that much of New South Wales will receive above median rainfall for the last three months of the year, prompting the National Asthma Council of Australia to issues warnings to those affected by pollen production.

AirHealth and Campbelltown Hospital jointly operate the Sydney Pollen monitoring program and are forecasting increased pollen levels because of these seasonal conditions.

And while the bulk of the monitoring sites are in the capital cities, experts are warning that those much further west may be at even higher risk of serious impacts.

“The anticipated increase in grass pollen levels could pose challenges for individuals who suffer from asthma or hay fever,” Professor Connie Katelaris from Campbelltown Hospital said.

“It’s important for people to be aware of the heightened risk and take proactive steps to prevent and manage their symptoms.”

Soil moisture levels are much higher than last year across the entire Western Plains. BOM’s Enhanced Vegetation Index clearly shows what a difference 12 months can make.

This, combined with recent research from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) heightens concerns for asthma sufferers, particularly our region’s young Indigenous people.

Australia’s asthma hotspots have been revealed in the new UNSW Sydney-led study, which found higher proportions of childhood asthma in areas with greater disadvantage and a higher Indigenous population.

In general, asthma is more common among children in regional Australia, occurring at more than double the national average in some communities, new research shows.

Across all ages, asthma is the most common chronic respiratory condition among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and a leading cause of hospitalisation.

Environmental factors, socioeconomic deprivation, ethnicity and limited access to health care could all be contributing to the trend, said senior report author Dr Nusrat Homaira, a senior lecturer with UNSW’s School of Clinical Medicine. 

“People on lower incomes are more likely to be in substandard housing, where there can be greater exposure to triggers like mould and dust mites or may be living in areas where there are higher levels of air pollution or pollens.”

Respiratory infections, which are more common in overcrowded housing due to the higher risk of spreading infections, were also a key asthma trigger, Dr Homaira said. 

On top of these triggers, those in regional and remote communities have greater difficulty accessing appropriate health care, as most specialist paediatric asthma services were based in metropolitan hospitals, Dr Homaira added. 

Childhood asthma variation was found to be associated with area-level sociodemographic features, such as social deprivation and Indigenous density.

The findings could potentially contribute to the development of more effective asthma management strategies and improvements in services for children living in socially deprived areas.

“We know that in Australia almost 40% of all health outcomes in children can be explained by socioeconomic disadvantages.

Even in a country like Australia, there's significant disparities that determine a child's health trajectory over the years,” Dr Homaira said.

Pollen and other factors can send our breathing haywire.

National Asthma Council Director and respiratory physician, Professor Peter Wark said the best defence for asthma sufferers was to have good day to day control of their condition.

“Most people with asthma, who are aged over six years, should be using a preventor to keep their asthma under control. Now is the time to check in with your GP and make sure you are on the best treatment to control your asthma and know what to do in a spring thunderstorm or asthma emergency.”

“Even people with hay fever, who have never had asthma, should visit their GP if they experience worsening asthma symptoms like breathlessness, wheezing or tightness in their chest.”