Top Tips to Beat Hay Fever Allergies

After enjoying the warmer weather this week, some of the team have been noticing stuffy noses and sore eyes. And so begins hayfever season along with the runny noses and itchy throats that often come with it. Depending on what pollen your body is allergic too, you could experience symptoms any time from now until September. At the moment, it is tree pollen which is causing problems. Allergies in May through to July are often caused by grass pollen and June to September sees a rise in weed pollen allergies. Hayfever symptoms can really get in the way of day to day life. At Cosy Cottage HQ, we have been discussing the best tricks and tips to beat the allergies and decided to share them with you here in this blog post. 

Your clothes can be carriers of pollen. Make sure to change your clothes as soon as you get in the house to avoid the spread of pollen into your home. For items that you routinely wear such as your coat, make sure you give them a good shaking down to get rid of the excess. 

Although the ease of drying your clothes on a washing line on a warm summers day is appealing, we have found our symptoms increase when wearing these clothes. The damp clothes easily pick up pollens from the winds outside which we unknowingly carry inside in the summer months. The same goes for bedding as the thought of sneezing into our pollen covered pillow all night doesn't sound too appealing. 

A lot of people experience sore, itchy eyes when suffering from the symptoms of hayfever. Picking sunglasses that curve with the shape of your face are brilliant at keeping the pollen at bay. They act as protecting goggles!

Keep an eye on the weather forecast, in particularly the pollen count. Perhaps it is best to up your preventative measures or avoid long trips out when the count is high. You could even head to the seaside for some fresh sea air too. 

There are several foods which contain quercetin, a flavanol which suppresses histamine production. Turn to green vegetables, berries, beans and apples for your hit. To relieve blocked nose and other symptoms, try chamomile or nettle teas along with foods high in omega 3 (such as oily fish) or beta carotene (yellow fruits, carrots and spinach).

And of course, use eye drops and antihistamines to combat the symptoms too. 

Good luck over the next couple of months with your symptoms. Do let us know if you have any other tips and tricks to battle hayfever - we are always willing to try new methods!