Tips against hay fever
Unfortunately, hay fever season has started again. A large part of the population is snotty, constantly coughing, sneezing, and going through life with tingling and irritated eyes. In addition to anti-hay fever pills, there are a couple of other ways you can reduce the symptoms of hay fever. They wont help you get rid of it completely but these tips will make the spring and summer months a little more bearable and sneeze-free. Fingers crossed!
Find out what exactly you're allergic to
By knowing which exact pollen you are allergic to, you can keep an eye on what days you are most affected by it. This way, you can start on time with taking your medicine. This can be monitored through paying attention to bloom periods but there are also a lot of useful apps and websites that show what pollen are most likely to be present in the air during the day and in the region. To find out what pollen has the biggest effect on you, you could also do an allergy test at your general practitioner.
Go outside at the 'right times'
In the morning and after rain has fallen, there are relatively fewer amount of pollen in the air. Do you want to go out for groceries or a walk in the park? Plan your these activities at a time where your hay fever wont play up as much. Also, think about where you're going. For some outdoor activities it is better to stay in town rather than go to the suburbs or a foresty area with lots of grass and pollen.
Keep your bedroom pollen-free
Because pollen is in the air, it blows everywhere and can also come on your clothes and hair. Try to keep your bedroom as pollen-free as possible by throwing your clothes right in the laundry basket and brushing your hair before going to sleep. This reduces the chance of them going onto your pillow, where you have to lay in pollen all night. Taking a shower before going to bed reduces the chance even more. Alternatively, you can place a (special anti-pollen) screen in front of the windows of your house and regularly vacuum the place.
Don't rub your eyes
Of course, it's an incredibly satisfying feeling to rub your eyes after all that irritation and itchiness. But, don't do it! Yes, it will lighten up the itchy feeling but only for about 5 seconds and then it starts all over again. In fact, it may even cause the itchiness to get worse. This is because you are rubbing all the pollen on your hand into your eye. Can you really not take the itching anymore? Then use a wet washcloth to place it on your eyes and get some relief.
Protect your face
If you're going outside all day anyways, there are a few tips to protect your face from pollen as much as possible. For instance, you can wear sunglasses to protect your eyes as much as possible. The best thing is to go for a pair with a large frame. You can also smear some Vaseline under your nose. The pollen will stick to the Vaseline and will not end up in your nose or airways.
Don't let pollen enter your home
There are a couple of tricks to keep your home as pollen-free as possible. For example, if you have pets, make sure to brush and wash them regularly, especially when they go outside. Dogs love to roll around in that freshly mowed grass, but if they sleep close to you in the evening, you are in for a bad night. Also, make sure not to dry your laundry outside due to the pollen that can easily stick to the wet fabric. In addition, it is a good idea not to buy any flowers during the hay fever period (unless you are sure that you are not allergic to that particular plant).
Do you have any tips against hay fever? Share them with us in the comments so others can benefit from it too!
