Seasonal Allergies

Spring means buds and flowering trees, and if you're one of the millions of people who have seasonal allergies, it also means congestion, sneezing, a runny nose and other annoying symptoms. However, you don’t have to suffer these symptoms in vain, because there are a number of simple strategies to help you manage your hayfever more effectively.

This allergy may be either seasonal, such as in spring when there is plenty of pollen or new plant growth which causes the allergy; or perennial which means all year round, when you are allergic to dust, pet hair or other irritant substances. The severity and type of hayfever varies from person to person, but can make you miserable if not treated and the symptoms prevented.

Those people that have allergies causing dermatitis or asthma are generally more likely to suffer from hayfever; but for everyone the answer to relieving hayfever is to minimise the exposure to whatever is causing the symptoms.

Most hayfever sufferers complain of sneezing, itching and burning eyes and throat, and either blocked or running nose. Other symptoms that may occur are aches in the jaw and teeth caused by the pressure of blocked sinuses, popping in the ears, headaches and generally feeling miserable.

When you have an allergy the body releases a substance called histamine, which is why the most common medicines used to treat allergies are called antihistamines. These block the effect of histamine and will prevent any more histamine release, which should prevent the allergy getting worse.

Avoiding the substance that causes the condition is always better than taking medicine to treat the result of the exposure, but unfortunately this is not always possible.

Talk to us about the right medicine to treat hayfever, we can help prevent as well as treat hayfever whether you suffer from this occasionally or every day.

The most common forms are antihistamine tablets or nasal sprays, and eye drops. Antihistamines can be effective as they block the action of histamine during an immune response.

Naturally occurring substances such as Bromelain and Quercetin can also help to manage the symptoms of hayfever from the inside out. Bromelain is found in pineapples and is useful for reducing inflammation, so may help to reduce the swelling experienced due to hayfever.

Quercetin eases hayfever symptoms by stabilising the release of histamine into the bloodstream. In conjunction with Vitamin C, these can help the body's natural response to allergens and soothe the effects of an overactive immune response.

Other treatments for the nasal blockage and congestion of hayfever usually involve a nasal solution that may be either dropped or sprayed into the nostrils. These work by washing out the nostrils or by helping to dry up and prevent further secretions from the sinuses running down the nostrils or down the back of the throat. Decongestant nasal preparations should only be used for up to five days running as they can cause nasal congestion to worsen if used for prolonged periods of time. Seek advice from us as to the correct nasal spray that you can use to relieve and prevent ongoing congestion.

A cough may occur from persistent nasal secretions running down and irritating the back of the throat. This is called post-nasal drip, and may also be helped by antihistamines, as this should not be treated with medicines to stop coughing.

We have a huge range of options to help you just pop in and tell us what symptoms you have and we can advise the best suited product to help you. We have listed below some of the products we have avaiable but there are always more instore.