Early spring is a time that most of us welcome. The return of longer days, warmer weather and looking ahead to more of the same.
That is unless you are allergic to tree pollen, when the delightful prospect of spring can be ruined by the impending doom of hay fever. Help is at hand though. Airborne allergens expert and creator of HayMax allergen barrier balm, Max Wiseberg, offers his advice to fellow hay fever sufferers to make the spring a little happier.
“The peak tree pollen season tends to be in April,” says Max, “and different tree pollens can start to be released as early as February. The main tree allergen, birch, pollinates in April until early May. Ash and plane pollen also peak in April, and oak in May. Alder, hazel, elm and willow peak earlier, in March. But this depends on the early spring weather and on the mildness or severity of the winter. A mild winter can mean earlier pollen.”
“As with all allergies, avoidance is key. If you are allergic to wheat, you avoid wheat, and it’s the same with tree pollen. Only it’s a bit trickier as pollen is in the air we breathe. So begin with an allergen barrier balm to help stop pollen getting in your body. If less gets in, there’s less for your body to deal with and less for it to react to. Allergen barrier balms, such as HayMax (www.haymax.biz), which has been proven to trap over one third of pollen [1], are applied around the nostrils and bones of the eyes to trap pollen.”
“Next, you can reduce the amount of pollen in and around your home. Keep windows and doors closed to keep pollen out. Take off your shoes when you return home so you don’t tread pollen around. Washing your face, or better still taking a shower and changing your clothes, on returning home, will get rid of pollen from your body and the clothes you are wearing.”
“Ensure that you vacuum floors and carpets regularly, as well as fabrics and upholstery such as curtains and sofas. And damp dust surfaces – damp dusting helps stop pollen being dispersed back into the air. If you have a pet, make sure you keep it clean and well groomed to remove the pollen that collects in its fur when it’s outdoors.”
“Wearing wraparound sunglasses when outdoors will help stop pollen getting in your eyes and a hat, cap or other head covering will help prevent it getting trapped in your hair.”
“And of course there are many remedies, treatments and natural products available that help deal with the symptoms once they occur. The body’s reaction to too much pollen in the body is to produce histamines – normal amounts are good, as they keep us attentive and awake, but too many, and we get the common symptoms of hay fever – sneezing, itchy eyes, streaming eyes, runny nose etc. So antihistamine tablets work by counteracting the affects of the histamines. Some are available over the counter from pharmacies, whilst others are available only on prescription. Natural antihistamines are also available, such as quercetin and butterbur.”
“Antihistamine nasal sprays can quickly ease itching, sneezing and watering but are generally only proof against mild symptoms. Steroid nasal sprays and drops reduce inflammation in the nose; they work best for clearing nasal symptoms – itching, sneezing, watering and congestion – and sprays sometimes clear eye symptoms too. Eye drops may help reduce itchy, watering, swollen eyes.”
“And if one product doesn’t work try combining treatments – in other words create your own ‘Hay Fever First Aid Kit’. My recommendation is an allergen barrier balm, one (and only one) antihistamine, one (and only one) steroid nasal spray, eye drops and one or more natural remedy.”
Hay Fever Hacks: The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Pollen Allergies at Bay
