AN ALLERGY-FREE SUMMER
Sunny days can be hell if you have hay fever. Andreina Cordani shares her tips on how to ease the misery…
Beat hay fever
Every summer, I’m a martyr to my nose. It takes only the slightest provocation – an open window, a hyacinth on a colleague’s desk –and I’m off, delivering ear drum shattering sneezes. Summer is one long slog of itchy eyes, runny nose and endless tissues.
What’s worse is the advice on avoiding pollen. Stay indoors; keep windows shut; dry clothes inside; wash your hair every time you come home… Oh, and avoid alcohol, as it contains histamines, which could worsen symptoms. Great, but who wants to be a teetotal hermit all summer?
I am not alone – around 21 million people in the UK live with allergic disease (although that figure includes everything from hay fever to food allergies) – but there are ways to tackle the problem. I’ve honed my fever-fighting technique to a threepronged attack: block it, treat it and rethink it. Anything you can do to lessen your
exposure to your trigger will help. The first step is dabbing a nasal barrier balm, or simply a blob of Vaseline, on the nose to trap incoming pollen. There are also a growing number of nasal filters – little devices that clip into your nose – now available. A small study found that wearing a filter can cause a 40% reduction in symptoms. And wearing wraparound sunglasses and a peaked cap will stop pollen getting into your eyes. Yes, I look absurd but when I know I’ll be up to my eyeballs in pollen – on gardening days, for example – it really helps.
In high season, my symptoms start before I’ve even woken up, which means blocking alone doesn’t work – I have to combine it with treatment. Using a saline nasal douche comes first. Pollen particles are virtually indestructible until they get wet, so saltwater treatments like Sterimar wash them out. But if the swelling is too much, steroid nasal sprays are the only way to ease it.
And then there’s antihistamines. I was shocked to discover some research that linked long-term daily use of some antihistamines to dementia. Happily, Amena Warner of Allergy UK is able to reassure me. ‘This research only refers to first-generation antihistamines,’ she says. ‘They’re the older ones, which make you drowsy. There is no evidence that newer ones have this effect. Just make sure you ask your pharmacist for a long-acting, non-sedating antihistamine.’
For days when I need to be sniffle-free and looking human – such as weddings – I pop the pills. And topical treatments, such as steroid or mast cell stabiliser nose sprays and eye drops, are worth trying, too. Sadly, one treatment that doesn’t work is taking honey. It does contain traces of flower pollen but, as most people are allergic to grass and tree pollen, it doesn’t help build up immunity. The only thing that can do that is immunotherapy – which is only available in extreme cases on the NHS and exposes you to allergens over a long period to desensitise you. It can be given as a pill, droplet or injection – I had jabs for several years to treat my house dust mite reaction. It’s worth asking your GP if you’re really suffering.
But it wasn’t until I started rethinking my hay fever that I began to take control. I realised it got worse when I was stressed and so I took steps to relax. An app called Breathguru is a great way of starting meditation but I prefer outdoor swimming. Regular exercise, uplifting scenery and a noseful of seawater was just the treatment I needed. Now, at the start of the season I have all my ducks in a row – my blocks, my treatments and my de-stressing tools. There isn’t a one-cure-fits-all for hay fever – everyone is different. It’s a case of finding a mix-and-match strategy that works for you.
If your parents were allergic, you’re 80% more likely to suffer with an allergy yourself Most allergies are caused by a reaction to naturally occurring substances Hay fever is the most common allergic disease, affecting up to 30% of adults Symptoms may start in February, when the first tree pollens are released A protein found in apples, pears, plums and kiwi fruits is similar to one found in birch pollen, and can cause the same reaction