Hay fever advice from The Fryern Surgery
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen when it comes into contact with your mouth, nose, eyes, and throat. Pollen is a fine powder from plants.
We appreciate the symptoms of Hay fever are miserable and often very irritating and frustrating.
Please see the NHS website Hay fever – NHS (www.nhs.uk) for an overview of what Hay fever is, the symptoms, and how to treat it yourself with the help of a pharmacist if needed. Another useful website is patient.info Hay Fever and Seasonal Allergies | Causes and Remedies | Patient.
TOP TIPS!
- Avoid going out at dusk and dawn – pollen levels are often at their highest at these times
- Keep an eye on high pollen levels – avoid going out at these times if possible
- Keep your windows closed to prevent pollen coming into the house
- Put Vaseline around your nostrils – this helps trap the pollen
- Wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes
- Remember pollen will stick to you when you go outside – consider showering and changing your clothes after you have been outside to wash the pollen off. Imagine your hair being full of pollen as you lay your head down on your pillow to sleep…!
- Vacuum regularly and consider a pollen filter for air vents in your car
- Spray your bedroom with a mist of water half an hour before you go to bed – pollen will stick to the water droplets and fall to the floor
- Avoid cutting grass
- Avoid keeping fresh flowers in the house
- Avoid drying clothes outside – they can catch the pollen
- Avoid smoking or being around smoke – this can make your symptoms worse
- Remember to ideally start steroid nasal sprays a few weeks in advance of when your hay fever starts – it can take a few weeks to become fully effective
A pharmacist will be able to give you advice and suggest the best treatments. This can include:
- Tablets such as antihistamines. Examples include Loratidine, Cetirizine, fexofenadine and Chlorphenamine
- Eye drops. Examples include Sodium Cromoglicate, Olopatadine (prescription only), Azelastine
- Steroid nasal sprays. Examples include Beclometasone, Fluticasone and Mometasone
- Antihistamine nasal sprays
There’s very little different available on prescription but they will suggest seeing a GP if they think you’d benefit.
We hope this helps,
The Fryern Surgery team.