Most people associate hay fever with pollen counts and antihistamines, but did you know that your everyday habits could play a major role in how mild (or miserable) your symptoms are?
“Many people may be surprised to learn that what you eat and drink, how well you sleep, and how much exercise you get can all affect how much – or how little – you suffer from hay fever,” explains Max Wiseberg, airborne allergens expert and creator of HayMax allergen barrier balm. “It really does come down to lifestyle.”
Wiseberg points to a 2010 study, highlighted by the NHS and conducted by the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit (NPARU), which examined over 2,000 hay fever sufferers. The findings? Lifestyle factors such as stress levels and physical activity can significantly influence the severity of allergic reactions.
With that in mind, Max shares his eight top tips — or as he calls them, his “pillars of wisdom” — to help ease hay fever symptoms through small but meaningful lifestyle adjustments.
- “Eat lots of fruit and vegetables, to help stay healthy and support your immune system – preferably raw but if not, as undercooked as you can take them. The less you cook them the more goodness they retain. Red onions, kale, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, blueberries and apples contain quercetin, which is thought to limit the release of histamine, the chemical that sets off allergy symptoms in your body. And garlic, which reduces catarrh.”
- “Snack sensibly (An oxymoron?) Sorry about this, but no chocolate. I know! After all they said about it – good for your heart, good for your gut, good for just about everything – chocolate, apparently, contains histamine. So be strong and wait until after the hay fever season!”
- “Use an allergen barrier balm daily, first thing in the morning, before you go to bed at night and as needed during the day. This will help trap pollen before it gets in the body where it can cause a reaction. HayMax (haymax.biz) organic drug-free allergen barrier balm has been proven to trap over one third of pollen particles [1] and is suitable for children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.”
- “Sleep long and well. Not too surprising – after all, quite a lot of life’s problems seem somewhat less problematic after a good night’s sleep. And it’s just one of the things that can really help manage your hay fever symptoms. An NPARU study showed that people who slept at least 7 hours a night suffered significantly milder symptoms than those who slept no more than 5 hours each night.”
- “Drinking responsibly 1. Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink. Beer, wine and spirits all contain histamine. In addition to making you more sensitive to pollen, alcohol also dehydrates you, making your symptoms seem worse.”
- “Drinking responsibly 2. Avoid mucus-producing dairy drinks. Excess mucus is exactly what you don’t need if you suffer from hay fever. So drink water, fruit tea, herb tea, or any non-caffeinated tea instead.”
- “Stress the big stuff. We need a bit of stress to get us out of bed each day, but too much and hay fever symptoms will get worse. So concern yourself with the big stuff and leave the little stuff to its own devices.”
- “Exercise. You know it makes sense. You should try to do two and a half hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every week. Moderate-intensity means fast walking, cycling, water aerobics, pushing a lawnmower; that sort of thing. You should avoid exercising – or even being – outdoors when the pollen count is highest, generally first thing in the morning and early evening. If the pollen count is really high, take your exercise indoors, for example at your local gym or swimming pool. Or on your exercise bike. The lawn can wait!”
“So, there you have it – a few simple lifestyle changes that could make all the difference to those nasty symptoms! If you would like more advice on helping deal with hay fever symptoms, visit my Hay Fever Guide at www.haymax.biz/hay-fever.”
About Max Wiseberg
Max Wiseberg is a lifelong hay fever sufferer and airborne allergens expert (including hay fever, dust, pet, mould allergies and air pollution). He is a trusted expert who can provide in-depth comment with extensive knowledge on both conventional and complementary forms of treatment, practical lifestyle advice, as well as information and facts surrounding airborne allergens.
Max is regularly quoted in the press, in publications including The Telegraph, The Times, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, The Sun, Woman’s Own, Daily Star, The Sunday Post, Country Living, Running Fitness, The Practicing Midwife and numerous pharmacy magazines.
Max has been interviewed on TalkTV, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine, LBC and Sky News. He is also a popular regular guest on BBC Three Counties radio and has featured on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show and James Whale (talkRADIO). He has appeared on BBC radio, many local radio stations, as well as The Chrissy B Show, Fitness TV and the Holiday & Cruise channel.
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