Tips against hay fever
Those who have hay fever are hypersensitive to certain types of pollen from grasses, plants or trees. Some tips can help you get through the spring and summer.
Hay fever is annoying, but it doesn't hurt. The symptoms disappear once the pollen disappear from the air. The symptoms can vary per year, both in terms of strength and nature. The External site pollen calendar is a useful tool to predict when you could react allergically.
On hot, windy days, millions of pollen can float in the air. If the pollen end up in the nose, eyes or the respiratory passages, the immune system responds to this. Then histamine is released and that causes:
- nose itching, lots of sneezing
- a stuffy nose or a 'runny nose'
- itchy, watery eyes or
- dry throat and coughing
Hay fever cannot be cured, but contact with pollen can be avoided. A few tips:
- keep windows and doors closed on days with a lot of pollen in the air
- External site follow the weather forecast and the pollen forecast
- wear sunglasses outside
- do not mow the grass yourself
- do not allow the laundry to dry outside as pollen will enter
- at sea and high in the mountains there is less pollen in the air than inland
If the symptoms are too serious, medication can offer a solution:
- the first step is to rinse the nose with saline or physiological serum (as often as necessary)
- in addition, there are nasal sprays, eye drops or tablets with anti-histamines: these act directly on the complaints and ensure less trouble (some antihistamines are available in pharmacies without a prescription)
- nasal sprays with corticosteroids provide relief for long-term complaints
Never start taking medication on your own. Always ask the pharmacist or doctor for the correct treatment!
