As we continue to enjoy mild weather and longer, brighter evenings, most of us are keen to get out and make the most of the outdoors. However, if you suffer from hay fever, you are most likely dreading the stinging eyes, streaming nose and of course the unstoppable sneezing! These irritating symptoms can be a massive hindrance when it comes to enjoying summer activities. A. Vogel’s nutritional therapist Alison Cullen, has shared her top ten tips for survival when there is a high pollen count, so that sufferers can take action against the dreaded symptoms today.
1. Curb the caffeine and opt for anti-inflammatory green or white tea if your nasal passages are pouring. Caffeine triggers histamine release which can bring the skin up in a red, itchy, angry looking rash and dilate your blood vessels until everything feels inflamed.
2. Be wary of mucus-inducing dairy products. People prone to allergic reactions often struggle with dairy so instead investigate the dairy free offerings at your local health food store.
3. Reduce the sugar. Refined sugar triggers a dramatic rise and fall of blood sugar levels, which causes an adrenalin surge that activates histamine release. Opt for sweet dried or fresh fruit for a natural sugar fix instead.
4. Topping up on Vitamin C acts as a natural antihistamine. Fill your diet with fresh fruit and vegetables to ensure a steady intake throughout the day.
5. Fill your diet with tasty anti-inflammatory foods including blueberries, blackberries, purple grapes, blackcurrants, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, butternut squash, mangoes, apricots, peaches, nectarines, papaya, pears, pineapples, prunes, plums, raisins, figs, avocados, herring, pilchards, sardines, salmon, pumpkin seed oil and flax seed oil to help counter inflammation.
6. Dry clothes indoors as damp clothes on the washing line will collect pollen.
7. Undress in the bathroom not the bedroom so the pollen from clothes doesn’t float around the bedroom.
8. Spread Vaseline around the edge of each nostril to trap or block pollen. Reapply each time you blow your nose.
9. Keep an eye on pollen count reports.
10. Stock up on A.Vogel Pollinosan tablets, a natural remedy containing sevenherbs that work on all the symptoms of hay fever and allergic rhinitis, without the drowsy side effects associated with some medicine. For best results, it can be taken a month before your symptoms usually start.
