It’s that glorious time of year again when some of us become actively allergic to our surroundings.
This irritating allergy affects 1 in 5 people in the UK.
Were going to give you the low down on triggers and prevention so you can enjoy the outdoors fully this summer.
Hay fever is the umbrella term for an allergy to pollen, depending on the month different pollen are more present. In April to mid May tree pollen will be the main irritant, in June and July grass pollen takes over, then in august and September weed pollen takes centre stage. If you’re unlucky you can be allergic to all three!
Luckily the pollon forecast can help you to predeict how you will be affected day to day.
This diagram show the pollen count across the UK for Friday the 11th, Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th of may.
So what can you do?!
We’ve created a list of tips and tricks starting with what you can do while you’re out and about. Although staying in doors is a good method of prevention it is high likley you will have to go out side.
- Put some Vaseline around your nose, a slightly greasy nose will help trap pollen particles so the don’t go up your nose.
- A big pair of sunglasses will help keep some of the allergen out of your eyes, the more surface they cover the better!
- Stay away from foods that encourage the production of histamine, these include cured meats, pickles and cheese. (sorry to ruin your picnic)
- Alcohol is also full of histamines 😦
- Reducing smoking or stopping all together will also help, as the smoke irritates the sensitive lining of your nose and makes you more susceptible to the symptoms of hay fever.
Is there a cure?!
Unfortunately there isn’t a quick fix to hay fever, some people grow out of it and if you’re really servery allergic to it you may be offered immunotherapy, but this can take months or years to have any effect. But luckily for the average sufferer there are some short term aids to help you.
- Antihistamines are one of the most commonly used preventative medications, there are available over the counter and as a prescription. However they can make you slightly drowsy and can have negative impacts on your health taken in too higher dosage.
- Eye drops can alleviate the burning and itching in your eyes, you can also get medicated ones to target the problem area of the eyes directly.
- Decongestant Nasal spray can wash out some of the pollen and help calm down the allergic reaction.
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