NEWS ARTICLE

Five Practical Ways to Fight off Hay Fever!

Published on Thursday, March 29, 2012

So your hay fever is acting up and you’ve taken your medication but you could really do with a more natural way of taking the edge off your symptoms. Did you know that your lifestyle could be making your symptoms worse? Well it can, but don’t worry as there’s plenty you can do to improve your situation.

Below you will find three practical and simple suggestions to get you in into the best frame of mind and physical condition for fighting off the dreaded itchy eyes, runny nose and generally run-down feelings associated with hay fever…

Sleep well:

Studies have shown that only 1 in 8 people who sleep for at least 7 hours per night on a regular basis report experiencing severe symptoms, whereas people who only manage 5 hour or less of sleep per night have a 21% chance (that’s 1 in 5) of experiencing severe symptoms. The numbers really do speak for themselves!

You may also like to consider installing our Pollen Screens on your bedroom windows to greatly reduce the pollen levels in your bedroom. This may help to improve the quality of sleep that you get over the summer. Check out the Sleep Foundation website for more information on the optimum amount of sleep you should get per night.

Reduce stress:

This is really an extinction of the above tip as a good night’s sleep will not come to a stressed person. A survey run by the NHS has showed a clear link between the severity of hay fever symptoms and the levels of stress experienced by an individual. Reducing your stress is very likely to lessen your symptoms! However, reducing stress can be very difficult if you have a job and a family and spend most of your time rushing around. Take a look at the NHS Choices website for tips and relaxation techniques to bring your stress level down a peg or two.

Eat healthily and get more exercise:

This one is a no brainer! You need to be in the best condition both mentally and physically before the onset of the hay fever season if you want to fight off those dreaded symptoms. Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables will not only leave your body more able to cope with your symptoms, you will also feel a lot better and more full of energy. Take a look at the Net Doctor website for advice on getting your 5 portions of fruit and veg per day. Just remember that some foods can exacerbate symptoms (such as tomatoes, apples and celery) so do your homework before you go to the super market. Getting enough exercise is equally as important so get down to your local gym or pool a few times a week and work up a sweat. It’s best not to exercise outdoors during times of high pollen levels as this may make your symptoms worse.

DOWNLOAD our Hay Fever Calander too!