Hay Fever: How to beat it (Overcoming Common Problems)
Hay fever is the common name for a condition called allergic rhinitis, which means an allergy that affects the nose. Most people associate hay fever with spring, when airborne grass pollens are at their peak. This is known as seasonal allergic rhinitis or spring hay fever. However, hay fever can occur at any time of the year.
When symptoms occur all year round, this is known as perennial allergic rhinitis. Perennial allergic rhinitis is usually caused by a reaction to allergens around the home, such as dust mites, moulds, animal hair or fur, or occupational allergens. Your nose acts as a filter.
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The tiny hairs and mucus that line the nasal passages trap dust, pollens and other microscopic particles. A person with hay fever is allergic to some of the particles that get trapped in the nose, such as pollen. The nasal passages become inflamed and more mucus is produced. In some cases the cause may be obvious but in others your doctor will need to consider your medical history together with the results of allergy tests skin prick tests or allergen specific IgE blood tests , which may require referral to a specialist.
Some medications may help relieve the symptoms of hay fever. Ask your GP or pharmacist for advice. You may be advised to try: If you are allergic to grass pollen, it can be difficult to avoid but the following advice may help: Visit the Melbourne Pollen Count and Forecast website , or download the Melbourne Pollen Count app for information about the six pollen monitoring sites managed by the University of Melbourne.
Or, visit the Deakin AirWatch website for information about the two pollen monitoring sites managed by Deakin University. Grass pollen season brings an increase in asthma and hay fever. It also brings the chance of thunderstorm asthma. People with hay fever — especially those who experience wheezing or coughing with their hay fever — may be at increased risk of epidemic thunderstorm asthma.
Epidemic thunderstorm asthma can be sudden, serious and even life threatening. Find out more about hay fever and thunderstorm asthma. Watch our video about hayfever and thunderstorm asthma. View an accessible version of this video or read the transcript. The following content is displayed as Tabs.
Once you have activated a link navigate to the end of the list to view its associated content. The activated link is defined as Active Tab. Severe allergic reactions anaphylaxis and asthma attacks need urgent emergency first aid. In an emergency, always call triple zero Many people with asthma find their symptoms can worsen when they are exposed to certain allergens like house dust mite, animal dander, pollen and mould Hay fever is an allergic reaction to airborne allergens that can occur at any time of the year Allergies to insect stings and bites range from milder allergic reactions to life-threatening, severe allergic reactions anaphylaxis All medication has the potential to cause allergies but some people can have allergic reactions to specific prescription or over-the-counter medications Aspergillus is a fungus that commonly grows on rotting vegetation.
It can cause asthma symptoms Asthma triggers are substances, conditions or activities that lead to symptoms of asthma. Asthma symptoms include difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. People who have asthma or hay fever can get severe asthma symptoms during pollen season when high grass pollen counts combine with a certain type of thunderstorm Areas around the home that are heavily used, such as beds and upholstered furniture, will have much higher mite populations than the rest of the house Milk allergy symptoms range from mild to a life-threatening severe allergic reaction.
Avoid food containing milk only under strict medical supervision Egg allergy is one of the most common causes of allergies in children with symptoms ranging from mild to life-threatening reactions The long-term effects of consuming a combination of different additives in our food are currently unknown The Food Standards Code requires that certain foods must be listed on the package of a food, or made known to the customer upon request.
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If you experience an allergic reaction to a known allergen not Peanuts, tree nuts and seeds can all cause allergies with symptoms ranging from milder reactions to a severe allergic reaction anaphylaxis Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurised to kill bacteria that could be harmful to humans Symptoms of fish and shellfish allergies vary and range from milder reactions to a life-threatening severe allergic reaction anaphylaxis If you have an allergy, visit your doctor before you travel, especially if you are at risk of a severe allergic reaction anaphylaxis or an asthma attack Asthma cannot be cured, but with good management people with asthma can lead normal, active lives This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by: Content on this website is provided for information purposes only.
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How to get rid of hay fever - quick relief and tricks you can try
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Services and support Services and support. Alcohol and drug services. Carers, caring and respite care services. Child, family and relationship services. Emergency, crisis and support services. These nutrients are anti-inflammatory agents and are said to boost the immune system. Dark coloured berries like currants, blackberries and red grapes all contain high levels of antioxidants, but red grape skin also boasts resveratrol, which reduces inflammation in the body.
According to a study into diet and allergy in Crete, grapes were helpful in reducing blocked, itchy and runny noses from hayfever. Nettles have long been thought to relieve allergy symptoms, including hay fever. Just boil them in water, then drain and add honey to sweeten. Omega 3 fatty acids in oily fish are anti-inflammatory, which could help ease your symptoms. Salmon, herring, mackerel, tuna and sardines are all good sources.
Experts recommend three portions a week. Coffee can exacerbate your symptoms, so swap it out for chamomile tea, which is a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory. Spending a night in a bed infected with pollen means you wake up up feeling rough assuming you actually get to sleep. So doing a bedsheets wash as often as possible over the summer will help ease symptoms and let you sleep better.
One of the best ways to stop hayfever is by not inhaling pollen. But rather than not breathing, we recommend HayMax - a simple organic drug-free allergen barrier balm.
Hay fever - Better Health Channel
Apply it around your nostrils and the pollen sticks to the balm instead of going up your nose. Otrivine Allergy Relief 0. Newly launched it provides relief from a blocked itchy nose in minutes for up to ten hours. This can be purchased from the following websites -. Plus it soothes the symptoms of histamine," says Alison. This product is sprayed up the nostril and a gel is formed to prevent pollen entering the airways. Ultra Chloraseptic Anaesthetic Throat Spray. It contains Benxocaine which numbs a sore throat in seconds and comes in three flavours — cherry, blackcurrant and menthol.
We have a full list of best remedies here. This article is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your GP. Where you live can affect how you suffer.
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While the countryside has more wildlife to kick-start symptoms, environmental pollutants in cities can worsen them. Exhausts, toxic tar and even the ozone can irritate your body, leaving lungs, sinuses and air passages primed to react to the pollen you are allergic to. But alcohol is loaded with histamine, which is known to cause an inflammatory response and worsen seasonal allergies. Even drinking more than one glass a day can cause problems for sufferers, with wine being a particular irritant. Another way to battle hay fever is checking clothes are always clean.
These can contain pollen collected outside. So try to rinse this out when you have spent a day outside. Goran Pavlovic says that his sneezy symptoms disappeared once he started stinging himself regularly with nettles. His supposed cure requires him to pick a bunch of nettles once they start growing in spring and then sting himself once a week until autumn.
The tablets may also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, with preliminary research by the University of Maryland Medical Centre in America, showing they may reduce sneezing and itching in some hay fever sufferers. Histamine is produced by your body when it thinks the immune system is under attack. When pollen enters the body of a hay fever sufferer, it triggers the production of histamine, which then creates all those unwanted symptoms.