Nasal spray, pills or kissing? This is what you can do against hay fever

To start with, let’s take a look at the pollen radar, because it is currently turning deep purple, and that is very bad news for people who suffer from hay fever:

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Mieke Koenders, pollen expert at Elkerliek hospital, knows exactly why people with hay fever now suffer so much: “Due to the mild winter, many pollen-dispersing plants and trees have suddenly blossomed. It’s a kind of bomb”. she said to EditieNL earlier.

Explosive pollen period

An explosive pollen period, of which hay fever patients are the victims. You get them out like this: dressed in a family pack of tissues, sneezing and coughing with red eyes hidden behind sunglasses, these unfortunates still try to take something from the beautiful weather. But is there really nothing that can be done about that allergy? Yes, we list some possibilities.

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Medicines

There are many medicines for hay fever on the market, even if it is not always easy to find the most suitable one for you. There are several nasal sprays and eye drops, and maybe hay fever tape will help you. Pay close attention to the side effects, and start taking them on time. If you suffer from hay fever, it is best to discuss with your doctor which remedy is most suitable. They can also have allergy tests performed.

Many people also seem to benefit from the products that you can buy at any drugstore. The big disadvantage of this: you will never get rid of your hay fever completely. If you stop using the products, you will simply start sniffling again.

Immunotherapy

You can also use big guns: immunotherapy. But then again, that means you’ll need a few years of injections that expose you to the pollen you’re allergic to. “That way you slowly become less sensitive to it, and you get rid of your hay fever,” said former ENT doctor Francis Burgersdijk earlier against RTL News.

“Depending on the severity of your complaints, that is an option. But if you can prevent your hay fever with a pill, I would not recommend taking a shot course of several years.”

Home, garden and kitchen tips

And then of course there are also many practical home, garden and kitchen tips with which you can alleviate the worst of the suffering. Keep your windows closed to keep out the pollen, for example, or put on sunglasses. Another recommendation: go to the sea, at least when the wind is onshore.

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Which could also help, although there is no scientific evidence for that: put some Vaseline under your nose, the pollen will stick to it and they can’t get into your nose. But even if it is, you’re still breathing in it a lot, of course.

Kiss

Which is also sometimes suggested: kissing. Japanese researchers discovered that in hay fever patients the production of the substance histamine in the body decreases considerably after half an hour of kissing. Histamine causes sneezing, a runny nose and watery eyes.

And there are many more tips: choose the right time to exercise, for example, wear nighttime lenses, and use a wet washcloth for your itchy eyes.

According to ENT doctor Burgersdijk, the following applies to all those remedies and ways to reduce the complaints: if it works for you, then continue with it. “Hay fever can be very annoying, so people use every method. If you feel that a certain method reduces the complaints, then use it, even if there is no scientific evidence for it.”

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Hay fever during corona

One thing is certain: hay fever patients feel a lot more comfortable this year than a year ago. Okay, the sometimes maddening hay fever symptoms are still the same, but last year, when we were still at the beginning of the corona pandemic, people with pollen allergies were also treated with every cough and sneeze. looked at with crooked and sometimes even hostile eyes because they were considered dangerous virus spreaders. Fortunately, in our increasingly vaccinated and tested society, that is now a lot less.