Hay Fever Hacks; Surviving The Pollen Invasion

Photo by SARBPhotography
My essentials for the hay fever season!
Pictured above is from left to right: NeilMed Sinus Rinse Bottle, Covonia  Menthol Vapour Drops, Twinings Decaffeinated Green Tea, Dragonfly Tea Peppermint Green Tea, Vaseline, Dorset Tea Wild About Mint,  Twinings Chamomile Tea, Sudafed Blocked Nose Spray, Tesco Clear Honey, Primark Sunglasses.

Summer.

When I hear that, I should be happy but I'm not. I've been a hay fever sufferer since as far back as I can remember and I still struggle with coping with it now. However I have found some ways that make this time of year slightly easier, and although they might be well known, there's bound to be at least one that you didn't know or never considered trying.



Here are my tips on how to survive the hay fever season!

- Honey. A teaspoon of honey keeps the pollen away. No, seriously. Honey contains pollen itself, so taking honey can not only desensitise you to pollen, but it can also help your body build up a tolerance! If you don't like honey, try putting it in your tea to help mask the taste. Me? I prefer just to force it down and pull a few questionable faces along the way!

- Avoid caffeine. Caffeine can trigger histamine release, which is something we don't want! But there is a number of herbal tea's to help us in our fight against pollen. Peppermint tea can help you to breathe slightly easier and relieves congestion. Chamomile and ginger are also rumoured to help relieve symptoms and green tea is natural antihistamine and it also helps to build your immune system. Why not pair it with honey and go for a two in one?

- Sinus rinses. This is one of the most unpleasant things on this list for me but it really helps. Are you feeling blocked and mucousy? This is guaranteed to help. It helps to bring out the snot and clear your sinuses and reduce the swelling. You have to have a sinus rinsing bottle though or a syringe, or you might struggle. The solution, however? Don't buy it. You simply need 1 pint of warm water that has been boiled, 1 heaped teaspoon of salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. I will say the water has to be lukewarm, but not hot, or you will hurt yourself. The water has to have been previously boiled to stop infection. Safety first people.

- Always carry a nasal spray. If your nose is feeling scratchy and dry, that's only going to cause you more pain. Buy a cheap nasal spray to use to help moisten your nose back up, it should help you to breathe easier for a while. Beware, though, you'll also need tissues if you use a nasal spray!

- Sunglasses. No matter the weather, wear sunglasses outside. the sunglasses create a barrier between your eyes and the pollen flying around and will help reduce hay fever symptoms. I find wearing sunglasses helps my eyes to stop watering as much and helps control my runny nose.

- Essential oils. Getting a humidifier or a diffuser might be the smartest investment you'll ever buy when it comes to hay fever. These work by releasing steam into the air, which keeps the air moist for our nasal passages and with a diffuser, you can add essential oils to the water to help! The peppermint and eucalyptus oils are my favourites for helping to decongest my nasal passages and help me to breathe easier!

- Steam. Have a bath or a hot shower and try to inhale as much of the steam as you can. Or better yet, fill a bowl with boiling water and put your head over it with a towel. The steam is going to help moisten those nasal passages and reduce the swelling which will help you breathe a little easier. Add some of the essential oils mentioned above to give the steam an extra boost!

- Lip balm. You'll know if your nose is blocked, you'll breathe through your mouth, that can lead to dry and chapped lips. You'll need lip balm to help keep your lips hydrated and I recommend Vaseline for this, not coconut oil as I'll explain in an upcoming blog! It's also rumoured that some Vaseline under the nose can help to catch the pollen before it hit's your nose!


Do you suffer from hay fever? Let me know in the comments below what you do to combat the pollen! Remember to share with anyone you know who suffers badly around this time of year!