From inside the community Mill Road Surgery The lovely spring weather is a relief to lots of us as the temperatures rise, but for some it brings the unwelcome return of hay fever symptoms as the pollen count rises too. Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen and symptoms can include: • coughing and sneezing • nasal congestion and/or runny nose • itchy throat, nose and ears • headaches • itchy, red or watery eyes • tiredness While some people get very mild symptoms, others can suffer badly over the warmer months and symptoms can be quite debilitating at times. There are a number of self-help ideas you can try to reduce symptoms such as: • put Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen • wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes • shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off • try not to dry your clothes outside on days with a high pollen count • vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth • buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car and a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter NOTE - while honey is extremely tasty, there is no medical research to suggest it helps to reduce hay fever symptoms. If these tips don’t help then the best place for further help is your local pharmacist who can recommend treatments such as antihistamines, nasal sprays and eye-drops based on the symptoms you have. Enjoy the sunshine and don’t forget your sun protection! Ashley Moore, Paramedic Practitioner / Nurse Manager 19
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