Give your hay fever a holiday: 6 tricks to cure seasonal allergies

At last, temperatures in Glasgow are rising, but unfortunately for those of us prone to hay fever during the summertime, so is the pollen count. If your eyes are watery, your coughs and sneezes are clearing rooms and your nose is running as if it is in a marathon, here are six hay fever hacks that might help:

SMEAR ON THE VASELINE

It may sound unorthodox, but gently dabbing some Vaseline around your nostrils and eyelashes can halt symptoms before they start. The Vaseline creates a barrier which traps pollen before it can enter your system and cause discomfort.

CURE IT WITH CUCUMBER

No - not as a snack. This plant-based remedy will calm your itchy eyes through the vegetable’s cooling qualities. Just slice up a cucumber, stick two slices on your eyes and relax for as long as you like. After 15 minutes, your eyes should be itch-free.

SNACK ON SOME HONEY

The sweetest remedy for hay-fever, eating honey is said to alleviate symptoms. Honey contains anti-inflammatories which boost your immune system. Some say that eating locally produced honey can desensitise you to the pollen that is causing your allergic reaction. Unfortunately, there is not much science to back this up, but it does taste pretty good.

PROTECT YOUR EYES WITH SUNGLASSES

Wearing wraparound sunglasses might make you look like the ‘Terminator’. However, if you want to make sure hay-fever will not “be back”, it is a good method to try out. Sunglasses stop pollen from getting into your eyes and discourage you from rubbing your eyes, which might worsen the symptoms. You can purchase specially made hay-fever sunglasses which are designed to block pollen by using barriers behind the lenses.

KEEP IT CLEAN

Although (I hope) you’re doing this regularly, taking a shower or a bath after a long day in the highly pollinated sunshine can get rid of the day’s pollen build-up. Washing regularly also stops you from turning your house into a hay-fever haven and creates a cleaner environment for everyone.

KILL IT WITH CLOVES

Although it’s not a widely known hay-fever treatment, putting two garlic cloves up your nostrils has been found to be effective. Placing two peeled garlic cloves up each nostril will clear out any congestion in your nasal passages using the fumes from the garlic, keeping you hay-fever free – just do not try this one in public.

Although a good chunk of us suffers from hay-fever at this time of year as a regular seasonal occurrence, do not forget that it could be something else. Check out the differences between COVID and hay-fever here.