Our immune system is suppose to protect us from harmful substance. But sometimes our body thinks something harmless is harmful and react to it. An allergen causes this reaction.
Living with an allergy has a huge impact on one's health. There are many types of allergy, but hay fever is closely associated with Spring. It is recorded that more than 10 million people in the UK suffer from hay fever. According to Allergy UK.
This article provides information on common allergy triggers and how to control them.
Why We Suffer?
In spring flowers begin to bloom this is due to the pollination of trees, this pollination is a trigger for for those who are allergic to pollen.
Symptoms:
We experience symptoms such as, Itchy nose, Itchy and streaming eyes, sneezing and constant running nose as well as, lack of sleep which results in being tired all the time.
Triggers and Time
The Hay fever season can be as early as March and last throughout the summer .
The appearance of pollen on Birch trees in March, can mark the beginning of the allergic reaction for some.
While for others, grass pollen which appears in May, will trigger their reaction.
However, Hay fever is not limited to spring and Summer, it is known that mould spores and pollen from mugwort and chrysanthemum can trigger the allergy for others during the autumn season. Emission from cars may also trigger an allergic reaction
If you are a sufferer of Hayfever, you may have tried several remedies which may have worked or not. Here are some simple steps you can take to help you fight back.
Refine your diet. According to Allergy UK, the immune system sees some proteins in some food as similar to proteins in pollen. E.g an allergy to Birch pollen may be made worse by eating apples. WHAT TO DO? Get tested for your triggers to identify what causes your reaction, this will enable you follow an exclusion diet to avoid those food groups.
Limit Exercise Outside: During the pollen season we may be inhaling more pollen and airborne spores . when we exercise outdoors we breath in deeply and inhale more air than we normally do. WHAT TO DO? Do not exercise outdoors during the hay fever season. If you must, avoid going outside between 7.00am to 9.00am and 3.00pm to 7.00pm, these are peak pollen periods.
Pollens attach themselves to our bodies, hair, clothing and shoes. Change as soon as you get in and take a good shower. .
House plants: if you keep houseplants you may be amongst the 75% of hay fever sufferers who suffer as a result of houseplant. According to a Belgian study. Allergen in the plant sap diffuse into the air can trigger a reaction. WHAT TO DO? Get rid of any house plant during the hay fever season or reduce them and watch if there's any change in your symptoms.
Good Ventilation in cars and indoors is necessary to reduce indoor allergen. Open windows, to let in fresh air. This may not be a good idea early in the morning and evening when the pollen count are high.
Avoid Exposure to Pollen: the above suggestions all centres on avoiding pollen as much as possible. In summary Other suggested actions include:
- wear wraparound sunglasses to protect the eyes, to reducing itching and tears
- Stay away from parks, gardens and fields, difficult to do when the Weather is great, but this will help you greatly.
- Using Alternate medicine: there are several other ways to control and reduce your symptoms. Below are a few suggestions:
Soothe it: it is widely known that Aloe Vera gel around the nostrils and eyelids helps soothes itchiness and reduces redness. This is because Aloe contains natural antihistamine. Use the pure aloe Vera Gelly which you can get here:Aloe Vera Gelly
Have a spoonful of honey: Raw honey is removed from the hive when bottled directly, will contain trace amounts of yeast, wax and pollen. Consuming local raw honey is believed to help with seasonal allergies due to repeated exposure to the pollen in the area. You can get the forever living honey here, manufactured and bottled by forever living
Regularly splash cold water on your face to get rid of any pollen and allergen.
Use essential oils: put a few drops of essential oils such as eucalyptus in water to provide some relief from itchy nose, dap a little onto tissue and inhale to relieve stuffy nose.
Supplement it: vitamins places a great part in how we react to pollen, one of the recommended supplement according to Food Matters is Bee Pollen.
according to an article on their website Bee Pollen reduces the presence of histamine, ameliorating many allergies. Dr. Leo Conway, M.D of Denver Colorado, reported that 94 percent of his patients were completely free from allergy symptoms once treated with oral feeding of pollen. Everything from asthma to allergies to sinus problems were cleared, confirming that bee pollen is wonderfully effective against a wide range of respiratory diseases.
Hay Fever is not a friendly discomfort, but a dreaded inconvenience, making a few suggested changes above may be all you need to enjoy a tear free summer.
Have you found this helpful, let us know by commenting below.
Sources:
Allergy UK
Good Food Guide
Hay Fever is not a friendly discomfort, but a dreaded inconvenience, making a few suggested changes above may be all you need to enjoy a tear free summer.
Have you found this helpful, let us know by commenting below.
Sources:
Allergy UK
Good Food Guide
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