Tackling hayfever with pharmacist Eimear Naughton, Meaghers Glenview

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Hayfever is a type of allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is a condition where something that causes an allergic reaction makes the inside of your nose inflamed.

It can be caused by either pollen or spores. If the symptoms of hayfever occur mainly during Spring/Summer, then the likely cause is pollen.

Trees, grass and plants release pollen as part of their reproductive process mainly during these months.

This is then called hayfever. If the symptoms occur all year round then these are typically triggered by dust, animal dander or mould spores. This is called perennial rhinitis.

Allergic reactions often result in an increase in a substance called Histamine being produced in the body. It causes blood vessels to expand and the skin to swell in an attempt to fight the “harmful reaction”.

In the case of hayfever, this results in an itchy throat, runny nose, itchy red eyes and sneezing etc.

According to the Asthma Society of Ireland, hayfever will affect 1 in 5 people so learning to recognise the symptoms and knowing the relevant information on suitable treatments and lifestyle advice is essential.

What are the symptoms?

With the summer comes hayfever season, and it may feel as though you are doomed to a summer of sneezing, puffy eyes and a red nose, but don’t worry – we’ve got all the information you need to battle those allergies!

The most common symptoms include but are not limited to:

• Sneezing
• Itchy, blocked or runny nose
• Red, itchy, watery eyes
• Itchy throat/mouth (oral allergy syndrome)
• Itchy inner ear
• Fatigue
• Reduced sense of taste and smell
• Headaches
• Loss of concentration
• Generally feeling unwell

How can it be treated?

Firstly, there are many over-the counter products available to treat hayfever.

They come in all different forms to best suit your needs, whether it be small once a day tablets, nasal sprays, nasal rinses or eye drops, you name it, we have it!

When treating hayfever the best piece of advice is to treat the symptoms early, beginning hayfever treatments before the hayfever season begins is often a great way to ward off any extreme suffering.

Antihistamine:

The first line treatment is an antihistamine which will help stop the histamine reaction from occurring, particularly if taken before you come into contact with the substance you’re allergic to.

They can also reduce the severity of symptoms if you take them afterwards.

There are many types of antihistamines available. Cetrine is a great Irish product we recommend constantly in store as it is basically an “all-in-one” product.

It relieves all types of hayfever symptoms including runny and blocked up nose, sneezing, itchy watery eyes and symptoms of hives.

It’s a non-drowsy, once daily dose antihistamine and the effects last for 24hours.

The tablet itself is small so it’s perfect for those who struggle swallowing tablets.

Piriton, which is the antihistamine chlorphenamine, is effective.

As this type of treatment can cause drowsiness, this can help those who suffer from interrupted sleep due to their allergies, however, it is not to be used as a long-term solution.

Piriton and Cetrine also come in a liquid form which is suitable for children aged 2+.

Nasal Sprays are also available over-the-counter and come in the form of steroid nasal sprays such as Nasacort, Flixonase and Beconase.

Eye Drops

Perhaps one of the most uncomfortable symptoms of hayfever are red, itchy, puffy eyes.

Opticrom allergy eye drops are fantastic for alleviating these symptoms.

These are suitable for contact lens wearers however you should remove the contact before you put in the drops and wait 15 minutes before putting the contacts back in.

If your eyes become very irritated and sore, Optrex eye baths can be useful to wash the eye out and hopefully remove any pollen in and around the eye.

Simple tips to help you combat hayfever: 

Shower in the evening to wash the days pollen off.

Don’t put clothes on the washing line to dry because the pollen can attach to them.

Sleep with windows closed so as to not inhale any pollen during the night.

Wearing sunglasses can help streaming and itchy eyes.

If you pop vaseline around the base of the nose it stops the pollen getting into it