Hay Fever Relief

As March draws to a close and we say goodbye to frosty mornings, we begin to anticipate the beginnings of warmer weather.

For as many as 20 per cent of people in Britain, spring and summer is tainted by hay fever (also known as pollinosis or seasonal allergic rhinitis), which is an allergic reaction to pollen.

Hay fever brings misery, inconvenience and despair every year, not to mention a hole in the wallet.

Symptoms are sneezing, streaming eyes and nose, and itching, and are caused by the inflammation of mucous membranes.

As pollen comes into contact with the lining of the eyes, ears, mouth and nose, the immune system has a reaction. Antibodies are produced to attack the pollen and this triggers the release of histamine, which causes the symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Popular over-the-counter remedies such as Benadryl, Claritin and Zyrtec give hay fever relief by providing antihistamine. While they do not address the root cause of the problem, they are effective in relieving hay fever symptoms and enabling people to live normally.

The drawback is these hay fever remedies can work out expensive, and can have side effects such as drowsiness, although these are usually minimal with modern medications. Some people would simply prefer not to have to take tablets and would be willing to try preventative measures against hay fever.

Some commonly recommended ways of getting relief from hay fever are not exactly practical. Here are a few examples:

Avoiding exposure to pollen - all very well if you are a hermit and never go outside the front door.

Keeping windows closed in the house and car - works well if you want to live in an oven and enjoy drowning in a pool of sweat.

Avoiding mowing the grass - not everyone can afford a gardener. What about other people mowing their grass (do you politely ask them not to)?

Wearing a facemask to filter pollen - this is fine if you enjoying bringing attention to yourself and having people stare at you.

Here are some tips for getting some relief from hay fever. They will likely have varying degrees of success, but are far more workable.

1. Change clothes and shower after being outdoors to remove pollen
2. Wear wrap around sunglasses to prevent pollen from getting in the eyes
3. Wipe pets down after being outside to remove pollen from their fur
4. Don't hang washing out to dry - pollen gets trapped in clothes fibres
5. Wash face and hands regularly throughout the day to avoid transferring pollen to nose, eyes and mouth
6. Put Vaseline around the eyes and nose as a barrier to pollen particles
7. Fit a pollen filter to your car
8. Buy a HEPA filter equipped vacuum cleaner
9. Plant low risk plants in the garden (insect pollinated rather than wind pollinated)

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Sharon Kirby is a freelance health writer who likes to write about exercise, fitness, nutrition and a multitude of other health issues.