. . . And it’s not just what you eat

A few simple lifestyle changes can pay huge dividends when it comes to minimising symptoms, says Dr Adrian Morris, an allergy consultant at the Surrey Allergy Clinic. KEEP doors and windows shut at peak pollen times of 11am and 6pm.

FABRIC can be a pollen magnet, so dry laundry indoors, and change clothes, shower and wash your hair as soon as you get home to remove pollen residue. Take clothes off in the bathroom, so you don’t spread pollen around your bedroom.

IT’S estimated 40 per cent of hay fever sufferers’ symptoms are caused by house dust mites. Pillows can harbour tens of thousands of them so replace your pillows every summer. GROOM and wash pets often to stop their fur bringing pollen in. THERE’S no need to spend lots on hay fever balms or nasal sprays. Apply a thin smear of Vaseline around your nostrils and along the socket bone under your eyes, or the inside edge of your sunglasses frame to trap pollen.

AND relax … University of Worcester researchers showed stress made hay fever worse, perhaps because cortisol, the stress hormone, has a negative impact on immune systems. A beach trip, where pollen levels are relatively low, could be just the job.