During the summer season, many people find that they begin to spot the signs of hay fever. This is an allergic reaction to the pollen from grasses, trees and flowers, as well as moulds which are carried on the air during spring and summer. Your body, during this time, can react to these allergens because it mistakes them for invaders on the immune system, such as a virus. When you have hay fever, the defence system against these ‘invaders’ overreacts, and the result is the symptoms commonly associated with hay fever. Hay fever, food allergies, eczema and asthma are all connected, and you’ll be more likely to develop one or several of these if they run in your family. This group of conditions means your body produces a type of antibody known as immunoglobulin E (Ig E) which responds to harmless allergens, such as dust mites or pollen. The symptoms of hay fever include sneezing, headaches, itchy eyes or throat, and a blocked or runny nose. These symptoms make sleeping and concentrating difficult, and they may trigger asthma in some people as well. If you have hay fever, you’ll be more vulnerable to dust mites, pet hair and mould allergies – this is known as perennial or persistent allergic rhinitis.
When your symptoms arise determines what kind of allergy you have. If your symptoms are worse from May to July or August, you’re more likely to be suffering with a grass pollen allergy. From April to May, your hay fever trigger is likely to be birch pollen – in June or July to November, the cause of your symptoms will be weeds or spores. There are various medications available to combat the effects of hay fever, which you can buy in pharmacies, supermarkets, or get a prescription for from your GP. If you haven’t used the medication before, check with your GP first to ensure that it is safe, even if you don’t need a prescription for it. Nasal sprays are really effective if you only get hay fever now and again, particularly if they only affect your nose – antihistamine nasal sprays could prove to be beneficial where your symptoms are concerned. Decongestant nasal sprays can help if you’re suffering with a blocked or runny nose, but these are only suitable for occasional use. Antihistamine tablets could help to reduce a runny nose or combat sneezing, but if you have a blocked nose, these won’t be the best course of treatment. It’s best to check with your GP before taking these, as some tablets cause drowsiness. Eye drops can also help if you’re suffering with itchy or sore eyes as a side effect of your hay fever.
The best way to control your symptoms is to keep a check of the pollen count in your area each day during the summer season. Pollen counts are published daily for grass, weed and tree pollens – there are also pollen forecasts to suggest how high the pollen may be during the week. Keeping an eye on these will help you avoid areas where the pollen count may be worse, such as parks. You can also keep doors and windows closed during high pollen count days, as well as avoiding parks and pollen-rich areas in the early morning and evening when the count will be higher. Drying your washing indoors as opposed to outside can help to avoid pollen clinging to your clothes, as can wearing wrap around sunglasses to keep the pollen out of your eyes. If you’ve been outside, you should have a shower and change your clothes when you get home to rinse off any pollen from your skin or hair – this will stop your symptoms persisting throughout the evening.