As spring blossoms and summer is just a few weeks away, many of us welcome the warmer weather and sunnier days. However, for the many individuals who suffer from hay fever, it brings dreaded symptoms such as sneezing and itchiness. It’s estimated that 49% of people in the UK suffer with hay fever symptoms, making it one of the most common allergies. In this blog post, we’ll take a look some ways to manage these tricky symptoms and get a hold on your hay fever this spring and summer.

What is hay fever?

Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis is a condition where you experience symptoms such as sneezing in reaction to allergens. These allergens include pollen, dust and pet dander. When an allergen enters the body it is usually harmless, but for those with hay fever, your immune system thinks the allergen is intruding. This kickstarts a process in protecting your body by releasing the natural chemical histamine. This chemical releases mucous membranes into areas such as the nose and causes inflammation and itchiness in  the throat as your body works to remove the allergen from your body.

What are the symptoms?

Some of the symptoms you may endure with hay fever include the following:

• Sneezing (frequent & often)
• Running or blocked nose
• Itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears
• Fatigue
• Cough
• Itchy, sore, red & watery eyes
• Headache
• Facial pain

How to treat hay fever

There are various treatment methods to control symptoms of hay fever. These include minimising exposure to allergens as well as medication.

Minimising Exposure

By minimising your exposure to allergens such as pollen, you are reducing the severity and amount of hay fever symptoms. You can do this by:

• Stay inside when the pollen count is high or is windy or go outside after midday
• Wear sunglasses
• Avoid grassy areas or mowing grass
• Shower when you come home or wash your face with cold water
• Keep your windows closed at home and in the car

Medication

You can take various forms of medication to control your symptoms. You can take any of the following:

• Antihistamines – available in tablet form, nasal sprays, eye drops and syrups.
• Corticosteroids – these can be administered via nasal sprays and contain steroids
• Combination medication – these are antihistamines and corticosteroids combined
• Decongestant sprays & tablets – these unblock and dry the nose