The arrival of the summer months brings plenty of fun for many of us; barbecues, trips to the beach and drinks in the park. However, for those of us with hay fever, it's a different story. The summer months are when plants release pollen into the air, meaning the outdoors is rife with pollen, triggering red itchy eyes, sneezing and a runny nose for hay fever sufferers. You don't have to let it spoil your summer though. With the right treatment and know-how, you can enjoy the season as much as everyone else.
Depending on the severity of your hay fever, you may only experience a few mild symptoms. For others, it may have more of a debilitating effect. The symptoms include:
The symptoms of hay fever are similar to the cold. A cold will usually last for a week or two and then your symptoms disappear. Hay fever will last for months at a time and it will recur at certain times of the year. You're more likely to feel unwell and run down with the cold.
There is a range of treatment options to help you manage hay fever. You may need to use a combination to keep your symptoms under control.
There are plenty of practical steps you can take to minimise your exposure to pollen and treat your symptoms. Using nasal irrigation is an effective way of relieving congestion. This involves rinsing out your sinuses with saline solution (saltwater) using a neti pot - a small bottle with a spout. Other things you can do include:
If you are going outdoors, the pollen count is highest in the morning so it's best to wait until later in the day to minimise your exposure to pollen. You can also:
Checking the weather forecast in advance will alert you to high levels of pollen. This means you can plan ahead and take your preferred medicine so that you can control your symptoms, avoiding pollen where possible. There are apps you can download for your smartphone which track your symptoms and display when the pollen count is high.
View our full range of hay fever treatments.
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