know your enemy ( hayfever )

It is impossible …..

to avoid contact with pollen completely

but can you minimise your exposure to it?

Know your enemy!

Use the pollen calendar…. 

 to work out which pollen types you are allergic to. If you have symptoms in June and July it is probably grass pollen. If you have symptoms in the spring it is probably tree pollen, especially Birch and Oak. If you suffer in late summer it is probably weeds, and if you have symptoms in the autumn it is probably fungal spores. 

Some people are allergic to more than one type of pollen. Several types of pollen have cross reactions. For example Alder, Hazel, Hornbeam and Birch all have similar allergens so if you are allergic to one you will also react to the others. 

Once you have worked out which pollen types you are allergic to it is easier to avoid the problem. For example, avoid high pollen locations such as areas with un-mown grasses in flower, countryside areas with un-mown verges etc. Avoid woodland locations in the tree pollen seasons. 

Avoid high pollen regions…. 

Inland lowland areas, such as the Midlands and inland East Anglia typically have high grass pollen counts. Coastal areas, uplands and moor lands typically have lower grass pollen counts. 

Avoid places with high air pollution loads…. 

 The air pollution in large cities can make the symptoms of hay fever worse even though the pollen counts may be lower than in rural areas. 

General tips! 

Avoid going out at peak pollen times . Look at the pollen forecasts. On high and very high grass pollen count days the worse times are usually in the early morning ( e.g. 7 to 10 am) and late afternoon ( e.g. 4 to 7pm) as this is when most grasses release their pollen. 

Don’t dry washing outside on high pollen count days It will collect pollen from the air and affect you ! 

Change clothes and wash hair etc after being outside 

Cover bed and desks when not in use and then fold the cover back carefully when you want to use the area. Pollen is quite heavy and will settle on surfaces quickly. · Keep windows and doors closed to help keep pollen out 

Wear sunglasses and a broad brimmed hat ( not always easy if your a man ) 

Brush or wash your cat or dog as they can carry a lot of pollen in their fur. 

When driving keep the windows closed. Service your car air filter regularly. If possible drive a car with a good pollen filter. 

For some respite, close the windows and doors of a room. Sit still, and in about 25 minutes most of the pollen in the room will have settled so you will be breathing pollen free air. It is best to combine pollen avoidance measures with treatments. 

Talk to our Homeopath or Acupuncturist   Helen Taylor – Weekes for specialist advice,  about treatments and remedies. In most cases the symptoms can be well  controlled or eliminated.at the Welwyn and Hatfield Practice , Hatfield , Hertfordshire. 

Related Posts

• About Osteopaths Whats all the fuss about ?

  Professionalism and Safety                                   Information for GPs To qualify, an osteopath must study for four to five years for an undergraduate degree. This is similar to a medical degree, with more emphasis on anatomy and musculoskeletal medicine and includes more than 1,000 hours of training in osteopathic techniques. By law, osteopaths must register with the General Osteopathic [...]

• Bed back pain theory thrown out

    A good mattress could ease back pain People with a bad back should not shell out for a hard mattress, say doctors. A trial published in The Lancet medical journal suggests a medium-firm mattress is the best for a painful spine. The Spanish study found more than 300 patients to test beds, and found [...]

• What is the Best Mattress for my bed ?

    “The mattress should be supportive enough to take the weight of the body without sagging, it shouldn’t be so supportive that it does not “give” comfortably when you lay down to rest” Buying your mattress Your mattress should be supportive enough to take the weight of the body without sagging. Old ones tend to [...]

• OUR VIEW – THE WELWYN & HATFIELD PRACTICE

                                                   Gp’s Prognosis resource / NHS / professional PATIENTS APPROPRIATE FOR  TREATMENT AT THE WELWYN AND HATFIELD PRACTICE Please take a little time to read the introduction  please call, email or add your thoughts through the news / forum section. The following  descriptions are simply for guidance. They are not an absolute guide and are quite possibly contentious. However, these subjective [...]

• £10 for a Wonderful Massage.. The Welwyn and Hatfield Practice

  Daisy’s main area of expertise  is deep soft tissue and sports Massage Treatments, specialising in her own styleof  pain busting  trigger point and MET Treatments (muscle energy technique). Daisy also has her own unique style of combining hot stone massage with deep tissue  / fascial work you will simply feel amasing. As with all the [...]