3 tips to beat hay fever
If you have hay fever, you know that it can be the bane of spring – or even autumn, winter and summer, too, if you have a bad case. If you’re not a sufferer, imagine having a cold that could flare up when at the turn of a corner.
Thankfully, there are ways around it. Here are three that don’t involve expensive antihistamines.
1. Find out what sets you off
You can do this one of two ways. You could a) either stick to a close process of trial and error or b) get yourself an allergy test. These are used to determine which particular allergens are responsible for provoking an allergic reaction. It will usually involve skin and blood tests or an oral food allergen challenge.
Note: If your symptoms mainly start in spring or summer, you may have “seasonal” allergic rhinitis, which is usually triggered by higher pollen counts during these seasons.
2. Minimise exposure
This might sound impossible when it comes to pollen and other allergens that float around in the air, but there are ways you can reduce or even stop exposure.
- Check out a pollen calendar: this helps you identify plants that trigger your hay fever and when they’re most likely to be flowering.
- Smear petroleum jelly (like Vaseline) inside your nose when you are outdoors: this helps trap pollen and stops it reaching the inner lining of your nose.
- Wear sunglasses and frequently splash your eyes with water.
- Stay away from parks and gardens while lawns are being mowed.
- Shower after playing sport and other outdoor activities to rinse off any pollen you’ve been exposed to.
- Use re-circulated air in the car: especially when pollen levels are high, or keep the windows closed.
3. Evaluate your current medication
Are you currently spending upwards of a few dollars a tablet on medications that only last a day? You may be using the wrong one. For example, decongestant nasal sprays or drops, syrups or tablets may help reduce nasal stuffiness or “congestion”. But they don’t work on other hay fever symptoms, and oral forms often cause side effects like insomnia and irritability, and aren’t suitable if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure.
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