Hay fever is one of the reasons many people dread the arrival of summer, while others can’t wait for the warmer weather and longer days. For sufferers, hay fever can make a few weeks or months of the UK summer a real misery.
Thankfully though, there are more hay fever remedies available now than ever before. From simple one-a-day over-the-counter tablets to nose sprays, eye drops and strong prescription-only medications, there is something to stop the symptoms of almost any type of hay fever. The season can start as early as February, as trees begin to release pollen, but the cause of most suffering in this country is the dreaded grasses, releasing pollen from May to September according to the Met Office Pollen Calendar*.
Another solution to the endless itchy eyes, sore throat, sneezing and runny nose is to escape the pollen altogether by taking a holiday abroad, where many people find their symptoms disappear or at least become much more bearable.
The Pollen Info** website is a great help in finding where you could travel to avoid allergies, as it has maps of pollen counts across Europe at different times of the year.
Once you’ve got your holiday booked, make sure you stock up on whatever hay fever relief works best for you just in case you do still suffer while abroad. If allowed by your airline, pack your tablets, sprays, drops and other allergy relief paraphernalia in your hand luggage so you won't suffer if your hold baggage doesn’t arrive when you do.
It’s also a good idea to take more medication than you will actually need, and to pack it in various different places – maybe keep one pack in your hotel room and one in your beach bag or handbag – just in case you do lose any or drop one pack in the sea while you’re paddling.
In case you lose any of your medication whilst on holiday, make sure you check before you go that your travel insurance will cover any replacements as it may not and you could be left out of pocket.
If you do start to suffer those familiar and dreaded symptoms while you’re away, try to keep windows closed in the early morning and evenings as this is when pollen counts are at their highest. Strangely, according to the Hayfever Expert website, pollen can also cling onto hair, so make sure you wash your hair regularly to reduce symptoms.
* Sources:
** http://www.polleninfo.org/
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