The sky is blue, the sun is shining and love is in the air – but so is that pesky pollen.
For hay fever sufferers, this time of year means sneezing, runny noses, watery, itchy eyes and sometimes headaches.
And it seems that many across the country are searching for a cure or at least treatment.
People looked for hay fever tips every three seconds on Sunday, according to the NHS website.
Their hay fever page was accessed nearly 123,000 times in a week. Aside from taking antihistamine and staying indoors with the windows shut, there are many other treatments that sufferers claim to help stop the sniffles.
So we asked Margaret Kelman, Acting Head of Clinical Service at Allergy UK, which tricks fend off those irritating plant pollens – and which ones are poppycock.
PUT VASELINE AROUND YOUR NOSTRILS
This is effective. And people allergic to Vaseline can instead use any unperfumed greasy ointment or barrier cream.
If you put this around the base of the nose, it does two things. First, it captures some of the pollen and stops it going up the nose.
Secondly, it protects the skin around the nostrils, which can become sore if you are constantly using a tissue to wipe.
You can also put some under your eyes to protect them.
EAT A SPOONFUL OF HONEY A DAY
Honey has fantastic antibacterial properties but has not been proven to be effective for hay fever.
This is because hay fever is triggered mainly by pollens that are wind-spread, ie trees, grass and weeds. But bees pollinate flowers.
So when you eat honey, you’re not being exposed to those grass and tree pollens. It won’t have the desired effect.
WEAR WRAPAROUND SUNGLASSES
Wraparound sunglasses are a good idea as they act as a barrier between the pollen and the eye.
A wide-brimmed hat can also prevent the pollen from getting on your face in the first place.
USE A NASAL SPRAY
Sterile saline is good to use in your nostrils. It acts like a shower for the nose and releases all the pollen.
If you want to irrigate your eyes as well, you can buy sterile saline drops.
PUT ICE CUBES ON YOUR EYES
The skin around the eyes is very, very delicate so it is better to use a cold compress rather than ice cubes because you may end up getting an ice burn there.
It is also not a good idea to have water that isn’t sterile in contact with the eyes, in case of infection.
WEAR A FACE MASK
Wearing a face mask is effective as it acts as a barrier for your nose and mouth, so you’re not breathing in all the pollen. It isn’t 100% effective but it will help.
HAVE A SHOWER AT THE END OF THE DAY
When you come in from outside, take off your top layer of clothes and then make sure that, when you’re staying in for the rest of the day, you have a shower and wash your hair.
Your hair and body will gather pollen throughout the day, and when you shower you will get rid of it, so you won’t re-breathe it when you are resting or going to sleep.
AVOID EATING APPLES AND MELONS
This is true for people with food pollen syndrome. Some people find that during hay fever season they can react to foods.
However, you don’t need to avoid any food unless you actually have an allergic response syndrome.
EAT CARROTS
There are no foods that have really been shown to improve or get rid of hay fever symptoms.
But having a well-balanced diet keeps your immune system healthy, so it is better able to cope with any allergies.
AVOID DRINKING ALCOHOL
You should avoid drinking too much alcohol, purely because it’s quite high in histamine and obviously your body is producing histamine when you have an allergic reaction.
This is why you take antihistamine – to counteract that reaction.
Also, drinking alcohol and taking antihistamines together isn’t a good idea because it can make the medicine less effective, and increase its sedative effects.
STOP SMOKING
Definitely. Smoking irritates the airways so it is going to make hay fever symptoms worse.
This is especially true for children who are passive smoking.
Their airways are smaller and so inhaling smoke will make their hayfever and asthma symptoms more severe.
CLEAN YOUR PET
It’s a really good idea to do this.
You should use a microfibre cloth and just wipe down your pet when they come in from outside as our four-legged friends can capture a lot of pollen on their fur.
DRINK CHAMOMILE TEA
This is not medically proven... however, your immune system doesn’t cope as well with allergy symptoms when you’re stressed.
So if you find something that reduces your stress levels, then your allergies and immune system will also improve.
