Hay fever is the bane of many people’s lives during the spring and summer months. The joy of longer and warmer days are overshadowed by the fact that you can’t stop sneezing and your eyes are as red as the devil himself. Hay fever, of course, is an allergy to pollen that is released in the spring and lasts throughout the summer. Over 10 million people in the UK suffer from hay fever and there are many studies being held by clinical research organisations to work out exactly what it is that makes us tick. Here is a definitive list of do’s and don’ts when preparing for hay fever season.
DO:
- Put Vaseline Around Your Nostrils
Spreading a layer of Vaseline inside your nostrils will help battle hay fever symptoms by trapping pollen that is trying to enter the nasal passages. You should feel the effects of this treatment straight away and will hopefully be walking around town, sneeze-free, in no time.
- Keep Windows and Doors Shut
Obviously, one of your aims will be to prevent as much pollen from getting inside your house as possible. By leaving your windows and garden door open for prolonged periods of time, you are inviting pollen to float in from outside and settle on your bed/sofa/carpet and cause you to sneeze inside as well as outside.
- Vacuum Regularly and Dust With a Damp Cloth
Pollen will always find its way into your home no matter how hard you try to prevent it, especially in the roasting summer when you can’t help but open a few windows due to the heat. It is, therefore, always advisable to vacuum your house regularly and to dust with a damp cloth to make extra sure that there is no pollen lying around your house.
DON’T:
- Keep Fresh Flowers in the House
A big no-no. All experienced hay fever sufferers should know that plants create pollen! They shouldn’t be seen in your home during hay fever season as they will just be spouting out pollen all day and you won’t be comfortable inside or outside.
- Dry Clothes Outside
One of the worst things you can do during hay fever season is drying your clothes outside. Pollen is everywhere in the outside air and sticks to wet material extremely fast. By drying your clothes outside you are inviting a load of pollen on to your persons and are going to cause yourself a lot of discomfort in the process.
- Cut Grass or Walk on Grass
Cut grass can be a major trigger for people with pollen allergies and should be avoided at all costs. Of course, you are not going to be able to avoid grass completely throughout the hay fever season (it is summer after all), but make sure that if you are to head on to grass, it has not just been cut and there is somewhere for you to go if you get too sneezy!