Glorious Sunshine, time to go to the park or sit out in the garden. Not so great if you’ve got streaming eyes, a running nose and tickly throat… the downside of the good weather is that the pollen count rises and Hayfever strikes.
Did you know that Hayfever affects around 20% of the UK population?
Hayfever is an allergic reaction to pollen. Your immune system goes into action: making antibodies to stop it spreading. Cue a stuffy nose, sneezing, and red watery itchy eyes.
There are two types of pollen which cause hayfever: tree pollen (Spring and early summer) and grass pollen (late summer). Any pollen that is carried on the wind, rather than by insects. You can be allergic to one or more types of pollen, so everyone’s triggers are slightly different.
How to deal with it
Antihistamine nasal sprays or medicines are widely available in pharmacies. If you want to deal with the problem more naturally, there are a number of options out there, including Acupuncture. Acupuncture helps alleviate the symptoms of hayfever by encouraging the body’s own healing response and helping to strengthen the body’s own defenses.
In an ideal world, it’s best to begin a course of acupuncture as a treatment for the symptoms of hayfever before the start of the pollen season that affects you, but it can help at any time.
Other natural remedies include homeopathy and nutrition. And, don’t forget the traditional remedy of eating a teaspoonful of honey made from bees that live as locally to you as possible.
If you’d like to know more about acupuncture, do take a look at my website