Hayfever warning as high pollen count for next three days - nine things to do
Hay fever sufferers are being warned that high pollen counts are making an unwelcome return in England and Wales for the next three days.
This news spells misery for millions of sufferers as it means bouts of itchy eyes, runny noses, frequent sneezing, headaches, even brain fog and extreme fatigue due to sleepless nights. While many people believe hay fever is a spring problem, in Britain the season now lasts from March until the beginning of October – which is a long time if you’re allergic to all types of pollen.
Airborne allergens expert Max Wiseberg said: “Pollen counts have been low to medium for a few weeks, but if you are a hay fever sufferer watch out and be prepared; the first high counts of the weed pollen are here.
“The main weeds are Mugwort, Sorrel and plantain. “Mugwort is a hardy perennial plant native to the UK and part of the Asteraceae family that also includes daisies, sunflowers, dandelions, and ragweed. Sheep Sorrel and its subspecies are common perennial weeds, also known as red sorrel, sour weed, and field sorrel. English plantain is also known as narrowleaf plantain, ribwort plantain, ribleaf, buckhorn plantain, buckhorn, and lamb’s tongue, which is a common weed of cultivated land.”
“As well as high counts across England and Wales, Northern Ireland and central and southern Scotland will have their first medium counts of the season. And many hay fever sufferers start to experience symptoms when the count reaches ‘medium’. As pollen counts have been lower for so long, most people will probably have stopped taking their antihistamines."
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Max is advising hay fever sufferers there are nine things they can do to alleviate symptoms.
Keep the pollen out of your body
Less allergen means less reaction. Use an allergen barrier balm, such as HayMax which is proven to trap over one third of pollen and starts to work straight away. Simply apply to the nostrils and around the bones of the eyes in the morning, throughout the day and at night to trap pollen before it enters the body.
Keep the pollen off and out of your body
Tie your hair up and wear a hat, cap or other head cover when outside to prevent pollen particles being caught in your hair. Wear wraparound sunglasses outdoors to prevent pollen particles coming in contact with your eyes. Wash your face as soon as you get indoors on high pollen count days. This will wash away allergens so that they can’t cause a reaction, and a cool compress will soothe sore eyes. Shower at night before sleeping to remove pollen particles from your hair and body.
Keep the pollen out of your home
Keep windows and doors closed. Vacuum carpets and floors and damp dust surfaces – damp dusting prevents settled pollen particles being redistributed into the air. Dry clothes indoors rather than on a clothes line to prevent pollen particles being blown onto the clothes by the outside wind. If you own a pet then ensure that it is well groomed and shampooed as much as possible to remove pollen particles.
Keep the room in which you sleep as free from pollen as possible
Wash bedding very regularly to remove allergens. Store blankets and cuddly toys in cupboards or drawers so they don’t collect allergens. Vacuum regularly, especially beds and fabrics to remove pollen particles. If you own a pet keep it off the bed and preferably out of the bedroom altogether.
Antihistamines
Our body reacts to allergens and produces too many histamines, triggering the unpleasant hay fever symptoms. Antihistamines do exactly what it says on the box; they anti the histamine. Butterbur is a natural herbal extract believed to have an antihistamine-like effect on hay fever symptoms, and is widely available in capsules. Quercetin is also thought to limit the release of histamine; as well as being found naturally in many foods, it can also be taken in a capsules.
Nasal sprays
Target congestion and stuffiness as well as other symptoms of hay fever because the medicine is targeted directly to the nose, which is the main entrance for allergens to enter the body. Steroid nasal sprays work by fighting inflammation and mucus production, reducing the allergic reaction of your nasal tissues to the inhaled allergen.
Eye drops
They work in one of three ways. Some stop the histamine release, some are anti-inflammatory and others block the inflammation caused by histamine. They can bring relief to itchy eyes and help stop watery or streaming eyes. You can also buy natural eye drops which contain a herb called Euphrasia (more commonly known as Eyebright). This relieves inflammation and swelling and is thought to be a helpful allergy relief remedy.
Create a hay fever first aid kit
Your kit should consist of only one or more natural product, such as a drug-free allergen barrier balm, one antihistamine, one steroid nasal spray and eye drops. The interesting thing about this is that many of these remedies can be complementary to each other. So if one helps, but doesn’t do the whole job, you may be able to try other remedies at the same time and get a better result. But there are rules: never take 2 anti-histamines together, never take 2 steroid nasal sprays together, and consult your pharmacist or doctor if you are already taking any other medication.
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