It may be past the hay fever season for some people, while for others it may just be starting. This all depends upon the pollen or vegetation that affects you as an individual.

Everyone who suffers from hay fever is affected by a different pollen. The only way you will know for sure which one it is is to take specialised tests that are usually carried out on your forearm.

You are injected with various types of pollen: grass, trees and shrubs, various flowers, etc. When I had this done, I found I was allergic to trees and shrubs, hence when I lived in Germany, my hay fever was far worse than when I lived in Malta.

The symptoms are pretty much the same whatever you are allergic to. Your eyes are sore and itching, your nose itches, you are sneezing and there is a horrid tickle and itch at the back of your throat which can’t really be relieved, but you curl your tongue back to itch at it, in vain.

Hay fever is medically known as seasonal allergic rhinitis and affects around 15-20 per cent of people in the UK. This percentage will change slightly from country to country, depending on the vegetation and even the dust particles. If you are a sufferer, or even if you live with a sufferer, you will know how miserable this feels and how it affects lifestyle. Sleep is affected. You can be sneezing in your sleep or have trouble breathing, concentration suffers, you feel drowsy in the daytime (usually due to medication) and everything is a real effort.

The most popular medication is oral antihistamines, which are available over the counter and by prescription. They do cause side effects, in particular drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness, impaired thinking, headaches and even blurred vision.

There is a second generation of antihistamines that are non-sedating and better tolerated. Pregnant women, in particular, should avoid antihistamines as none have been classified as safe for use during pregnancy.

There is a lot to offer from natural medicine, ranging from pineapple-derived enzymes and plant pigments to ayurvedic herbs and green tea.

Bee pollen taken all year round is especially helpful. Also, if you buy local honey and take that all year round, it puts local pollen into your system and helps immunise you from the worst of the suffering.

Here are some other options:

• Vitamin C seems to be a natural histamine suppressor. In one study, 2g per day of the vitamin lowered blood histamine levels by 40 per cent in just one week.

In another study, vitamin C sprayed up the nose three times a day reduced allergy symptoms in 74 per cent of the sufferers compared with only 24 per cent in a placebo group.

• Bromelain is a pineapple- derived enzyme that reduces levels of inflammatory prostaglandins, which is a key cause of swelling, redness and itching. It also enhances the update of quercetin, which is why you will often find the two together in a supplement.

Quercetin is found in citrus fruits, onions, black tea, apples and lettuce. This powerful plant pigment suppresses the release of histamine, which contributes to symptoms like a runny nose and watery eyes.

It is almost twice as effective as the histamine inhibiting drug sodium cromoglycate (at least in laboratory studies), which reduces histamine activity by 46-94 per cent (J. Allergy Clin. Immunol., 1995).

Green tea contains antioxidant compounds called catechins and they have proven to have anti-allergic effects. In one study, drinking benifuuki green tea containing a specific group of catechins, before and during the cedar pollen season, led to a significant improvement in hay fever symptoms.

Nettle extract has proved, in test tube studies, to inhibit several key inflammatory events in the body that cause symptoms of hay fever.

In one clinical trial, 58 per cent of hay fever sufferers rated nettle as effective in relieving their symptoms, while around half found it more effective than their previous medication.

Probiotics, the good bacteria, has shown to be effective. A daily dose of this good bacteria seems able to change the immune system’s response to grass pollen and so could ease hay fever symptoms.

Hay fever is medically known as seasonal allergic rhinitis

In one of the latest studies to investigate probiotic potential, people taking the antihistamine loratadine, along with supplements containing lactobacillus paracasei LP-33, reported a reduction in eye-related symptoms (such as itchy and watery eyes), as well as a boost in the quality of life.

In another study supplementing bifidobacterium longum strain BB536, during the cedar tree pollen season, it was found to significantly improve nasal symptoms when compared to a placebo group.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), also known as a weight loss aid and found naturally in dairy products and beef, is now showing promise as a supplement for hay fever. In a placebo-controlled study, 40 people allergic to birch pollen took part and those taking 2g of CLA per day reported less sneezing and a greater overall feeling of well-being during the pollen season.

kathryn@maltanet.net

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