Natural Ways to Reduce Hay Fever Symptoms

Finding natural ways to reduce hay fever symptoms is important for anyone suffering with hay fever and there are many tips and techniques to minimise your exposure to the pollen that causes the allergic response.

Natural Ways to Reduce Hay Fever Symptoms

Understand when pollen levels are high and low, and use this information to give you the edge to plan ahead for the best times to do things -

• Watch the pollen forecast, such as The Pollen Forecast on the Zirtek web site . The pollen count is measured as the number of pollen grains in a cubic metre of air, sampled over 24 hours. It is usually given as low, moderate, high, or very high. Most sufferers will start to experience hay fever symptoms at moderate levels.
• Watch the weather. Rain will wash pollen out of the air and stop plants releasing pollen. However the pollen builds up in the plants if it is not released, and so as soon as the sun comes out more pollen than normal will be released. The pollen level on this day will be higher than the pollen level on the same sort of day after several sunny days in a row.
• Watch the time of day. Grass pollen is released in the mornings from about 7.30am on a dry warm morning, however dewy mornings delay the time of release. Light to moderate winds blow the pollen around, and increase the chance of breathing it in. Still sunny days cause the pollen to rise high into the atmosphere, reducing the chance of breathing it in. The pollen falls back to earth when the atmosphere cools, typically between 8-10pm in the countryside, but slower in a city where more heat is retained in the concrete and brick. Inner city areas can have the pollen fall peak at midnight, and it may continue until 2pm.

Reducing your exposure to pollen can be done in several ways -

• Keep windows and doors closed when pollen levels are high
• Avoid cutting the grass or walking through cut grass
• Keep the house as dust free as possible, to control pollen levels
• On high pollen days change your clothes and wash your hair when you come in, as you will be bringing pollen into the house on these
• Cover your bed and pillows with a spare sheet during the day, and roll it up carefully before going to bed. This will keep your bed as pollen free as possible
• Dry clothes and bedding indoors, as pollen can stick to clothes hanging outdoors to dry
• Wear wrap-around sunglasses to keep pollen out of your eyes
• Avoid areas where pollen is being released, such as unmown grass in the mornings, or near to pollen-releasing plants (see the pollen calendar on the Zirtek web site )
• Air-conditioning can help filter pollen out of the air. This can help at work, at home, or in the car. Keep windows and vents closed when driving. Many newer cars can be fitted with pollen filters in the air intake, if so use them and change the filters as directed.. Ionisers can also help
• Keep away from pets who have been outside and avoid grooming them yourself, as they will carry pollen on their fur
• Avoid smoky or polluted atmospheres which can make irritation worse
• Do not rub your eyes. It only causes further swelling and redness.