AROUND 13million of us suffer from hay fever – including me.
The common allergy causes sneezing, coughing, a sore throat and itchy eyes.
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While it is possible to ease symptoms, you need to be careful because the side-effects of some medications can include drowsiness and blurred vision.
Today I put some alternatives to the traditional medication to the test . . .
NATURAL ANTIOXIDANT
QUERCETIN is a plant pigment found in fruit and veg including apples, red onion and kale.
It is a potent antioxidant with natural anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties.
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It is dubbed a “natural antihistamine” because it restricts histamine from being released from cells, which can help provide relief from hay fever.
Purolabs Quercetin Complex contains 490mg of quercetin dihydrate with vitamin C, bromelain, rosehip and acerola cherry.
I tried this for two months and seem to be sneezing less than normal at this time of year.
£27.99 for a month’s supply. See purolabs.com.
SOOTHING NASAL SPRAY
XLEAR Max Nasal Spray contains the active ingredient xylitol, which reduces swelling without the need for steroids.
This is mixed with saline to help transport it up your nose and wash away any debris and allergens, as well as tackling the bacterial colonies that may be causing inflammation.
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It also contains two natural remedies – extracts of aloe vera which is soothing, and capsicum annuum, which comes from a chilli plant and is a natural antihistamine that can clear sinus and nasal congestion.
This is great if nasal congestion – or a sinus issue – is what you are dealing with and you don’t want to use medicines.
You just spray one to three times up your nose twice a day. Great relief if your sinuses are driving you nuts.
£17.62 for 45ml from Amazon
POLLEN-TRAPPER VASELINE
THIS is a cheap and simple health hack that is recommended by the NHS.
You put a couple of dabs of Vaseline petroleum jelly at the base of your nostrils before you go out.
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It traps the pollen from actually getting into your nasal tract to trigger a reaction.
It works as a brilliant preventative cure.
My eyes itched less when I used this after days of rubbing them.
There are barrier balms that are produced just for hay fever but I think this works just as well for a fraction of the price.
You just need to make sure the blobs are not too big, or you can look ridiculous.
A cute handbag size 20g tin is on offer at boots.com for £1.25