Sneezing, runny nose and a constant groggy feeling - that's what life is like for hay fever sufferer Rosanna Clough.
She is one of a growing number of hay fever sufferers in Rotorua and many reckon this year is worse than any other they have experienced.
A post on the Rotorua Daily Post Facebook page quickly gained almost 20 comments, with people saying their hay fever was the worst they had experienced, resulting in sinus infections and visits to the doctor. One woman said her husband and daughter suffered so badly that her husband could barely see and her daughter had to have her eyes checked for damage because she was rubbing them so much.
For Miss Clough, it is a case of constantly having to take hay fever medication, especially if she wants to spend time outdoors gardening or walking in the Redwoods.
"It got quite bad towards the end of last year and is also affecting my asthma."
Miss Clough said that, while she could put up with the sneezing and a running nose, the worst part was the "awful, really groggy" feeling that accompanied it.
She said showers and splashing her face with cold water helped.
Pharmacist Ian Edward said that, while the hay fever was bad, he was not sure it was worse than in other years.
Mr Edward said that, because Rotorua was in a basin surrounded by forest, when the city got winds, particularly hot winds, hay fever symptoms tended to flare up.
Hay fever appeared to be something many locals suffered from, including Mr Edward himself.
He said he would like to think that hay fever symptoms would progressively reduce when there was less pollen.
Those suffering badly from hay fever should talk to a pharmacist, as different medications targeted different symptoms.
"It's important to get the best one for a person's condition."
Another pharmacist, who did not want to be named, said hay fever tended to have a pattern with a bad year then one that was not so bad - and this year was one of the bad ones.
She said about a fifth of their sales on any given day was for hay fever and sinus medications.