A doctor has debunked some of the strangest hay fever relief myths – including having sex to ward off the sniffles and putting garlic up your nose. Every year sufferers claim hay fever is worse than ever, and 2022 has been no different.
But recent shortages in medicines, with many high street pharmacists running out of stocks, has led some people to seek natural relief for their misery-inducing symptoms. To avoid wasted your time trying to decipher which alternatives work, Dr Stephanie Ooi from MyHealthcare Clinic is on a hay fever myth-busting mission.
She said: “Hay fever can be an extremely disruptive and uncomfortable ailment to deal with, especially if you can’t access regular medication to deal with it. Every year, new unorthodox methods of dealing with hay fever seem to dominate social media.
“It might be tempting to try potential new solutions, especially if your hay fever symptoms don’t seem to subside with standard antihistamine tablets, but many of these aren’t backed up by science. Simple methods such as dabbing a little vaseline under the nose, giving up smoking and keeping pets clean can go a long way to keeping allergies at bay.
“If you have ongoing symptoms please see your GP as there are prescription medications that can help as well.”
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen. Symptoms include pain in the temple and forehead, itchy or watery eyes and earache, as well as cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and sore throats. The main approach to treating hay fever, recommended by Dr Ooi, is triple therapy – nasal spray, antihistamines and eye drops, all of which can be bought over the counter.
And she has also busted some of the common myths abut the common condition:
Sex is the answer
One rumoured method of combatting hay fever symptoms is having sex.
MyHealthcare Clinic's Dr Ooi insists that while some hanky panky can distract you from your sniffly nose, it won’t stop you needing your handkerchief altogether.
She said: “The typical hay fever symptoms are a runny nose, sneezing, puffy itchy eyes and congestion.
“Sadly, having sex cannot treat these symptoms. It may give you temporary relief as it provides distraction and pleasure but it isn’t a cure!”
A spoonful of honey
Another myth doing the rounds is ingesting honey every day, but although it tastes great, there’s little evidence it will help your allergies.
Dr Ooi added: “Honey is useful when you have a cold as it is anti-inflammatory, and I can see why people might think it would work for hay fever too.
“Unfortunately, while it might soothe a tickly throat and other mucus membranes, it won’t go far in saving you from pollen and other irritants completely.”
Avoid the great outdoors
Dodging the outdoors during the daytime is another piece of advice some hay fever sufferers seem to follow.
The pollen count is higher during the day than at night but this doesn’t mean you’ll be unaffected by your allergies at night.
And it doesn’t mean pollen can’t affect you indoors either, open windows and doors can bring pollen into your home. It can also be carried in by pets and other people who live in your household.
Garlic is not to be sniffed at
A viral TikTok trend shows hay fever sufferers putting raw garlic into their nostrils, and seeing snot pour out when the cloves are removed.
My Healthcare Clinic's Dr Ooi explains that this method actually irritates the inside of your nose, causing more mucus to form which is then trapped by the garlic plug.
So when the garlic is removed, it’s the new, excess mucus that runs out - not the congestion you were feeling prior.
She continues: “Not only does this not work, with anything that goes up your nose, it could get stuck. It could also cause dermatitis by inflaming the skin.”
