6 Helpful Tips for Hay Fever Sufferers This Summer
Ah, summer… that glorious season when you can look forward to spending time at the beach, attending outdoor BBQ parties, plus of course plenty of sneezing, wheezing, and watery eyes. If you could identify with the last part of that sentence, you’re probably one of the many millions of people who suffer from allergic rhinitis, more commonly known as hay fever.
There’s no cure for hay fever since it’s not really a fever at all. It’s an allergy and there are a few things you can do to help make life a lot easier for yourself during the time when you’ll be at your most vulnerable. Here are a few tips to help you beat the bug…
1. Watch what you eat
Unlike most advice of this kind, this will not be about what you shouldn’t eat, but rather what you should be eating to help keep your symptoms under control. Good nutrition obviously plays an important role in your overall well-being, so even if this tip doesn’t work wonders for your hay fever, you’ll probably benefit in other ways.
What you want to be doing is eating foods that are rich in flavonoids and an amino acid called methionine. Sources include nuts, berries, and fish. When it comes to flavonoids, it is generally true that the darker the berry is, the more it contains. Why that’s important to you is that these are good foods to eat, but even better, the flavonoids and methionine have natural anti-inflammatory properties, which is going to help counteract the allergic reaction that brings on your hay fever symptoms.
2. Consider supplements
If the natural methionine sources just aren’t strong enough, methionine supplements up to 500mg per day may help. Another supplement that may interest you is quercetin. This also helps to work as a natural anti-inflammatory. Quercetin has many other potentially beneficial actions besides helping to control hay fever symptoms. For example it may help to relieve problems such as poor circulation, blood pressure problems, and even erectile dysfunction.
3. Try using menthol inhalers such as Siang Pure
These small plastic tubes contain a mix of menthol, eucalyptus oil, camphor, and borneol. This combination of ingredients helps to clear away mucus, thus reducing the chances of repeat sneezing. These inhalers are also sometimes helpful in treating motion sickness, vertigo, and dizzy spells.
4. Shower and change your clothes as soon as you arrive home
When you’ve been out and about, it’s quite possible that particles of pollen and other irritants have settled on you, and when these particles get stirred up it can bring on a sneezing fit. Showering will help you wash off any particles that have settled on your skin and hair, and obviously changing your clothes will make sure you’re not keeping those outdoor nasties on you when you’re indoors.
5. When driving, set your car’s A/C system to recirculate
For most people, getting fresher air into the car is a good thing. For you, however, a better thing is not allowing more potential irritants into your environment, especially within the cramped confines of a car. As a driver, sneezing fits can be incredibly dangerous as they make it difficult to keep your eyes on the view ahead, and can cause unintentional body movements that may result in a loss of control. With your A/C set to recirculate air, the only irritants in your car will be the ones that were already there with you.
6. Enjoy gardens and forests in moderation
The beauty of nature is very tempting, but unfortunately the peak of pollination season is not the best time to enjoy them if you suffer from hay fever. If you do know in advance that you’re going to be visiting an area with a lot of flowering plants, it would be an excellent idea to at least pack an inhaler and possibly some antihistamines, just in case.