April 17th, 2010
Summer is fast approaching and we’ve already been teased with some recent good weather. However, for many, summer has an unwanted side effect of puffy watery eyes and runny noses. Hayfever is the culprit and Times Online have outlined 10 possible hayfever remedies which should at least ease some of the nasty effects of pollen. Here is our summary below:
1. Drugs
There are plenty drugs littering the pharmacy shelves that claim to reduce the effects of hayfever. The majority of these are antihistamines which can provide some protection but many find these a little weak when the pollen is at it’s highest. Nasal sprays are also available and are recommended for prolonged use.
2. Honey
Research has seen that honey can provide some sort of immunity to pollen if taken regularly, even when pollen is not in season. Plus, it tastes great.
3. Nettles
Research has shown that nettles have the ability to reduce the production of some chemicals involved in an allergic response.
4. Self-hypnosis
“A two-year study, completed in 2005, suggests that self-hypnosis may help hay fever. The patients received between two and five sessions on self-hypnosis and recorded their symptoms as they practised the techniques over two hay fever seasons. In year one the study group showed a significant improvement over the control group, who were not taught hypnosis. In year two, this group were also given hypnosis training and showed the same benefits as the first group.”
5. Avoid the pollen!
The most obvious remedy would be to stay away from pollen all together, but unless you want to spend the rest of you life in bubble wrap it’s probably not the most practical.
Some steps you can take:
- Avoid going outside when pollen count is at its highest.
- Avoid drying your clothes outside.
- Using a blocking cream up your nose e.g. Vaseline.
6. Capsaicin
“This hot chemical from chillies does seem to ease hay fever. Normally applied as a spray under medical supervision, patients taking it report a rapid and long-lasting relief. Capsaicin taps into a particular cell-signalling system in the human body. There is a considerable amount of research into its many effects and it appears to have the potential to treat a number of conditions, including hay fever. Be warned though; the nasal membranes are very sensitive and snorting ground chilli could be extremely painful and might even cause blistering.”
7. Butterbur
“Also known as Petasites hybridus, extracts of butterbur plants are found in a number of herbal hay fever remedies. And there is some evidence to suggest that it is effective.”
8. Acupunture
“Acupuncture is often offered as hay fever relief but the evidence on whether it works is not clear-cut.”
9. Onions
“There is a suggestion that the chemical quercetin, found in many foods, can help to ward off hay fever. Onions contain a particularly high concentration of the chemical. There is no evidence that eating lots of onions is harmful.”
10. Sublingual Immunotherapy
“A common method of easing hay fever is to desensitise the sufferer with regular vaccinations of pollen about eight weeks before the season starts. A newer technique is sublingual immunotherapy (Slit), in which drops are placed under the tongue. The membranes in the mouth allow the active ingredients to penetrate, preparing the body for the pollen onslaught. It is not yet widely available.”
