Hayfever
Keep healthy, even when the pollen count is high! Nip hayfever in the bud
YOU MAY GENERALLY ASSOCIATE HAYFEVER WITH THE SPRING, but in fact it can occur during Spring, Summer and Autumn, depending on exactly the source of your allergy. From March to May, pollens from trees are the most common cause of hay fever.
From May to July grass and flowers are in pollen, making these the most common cause of hay fever. Some people do get hay fever into the autumn months. However this is rare and is usually caused by weeds such as nettles and docks, late flowering plants, and mould spores.
The symptoms are the same no matter when you experience them and include a runny nose, itchy, watery, bloodshot eyes and repeated sneezing attacks. As with all allergies, the symptoms happen as a result of your immune system overreacting to a normally harmless substance in this case, pollen. When the body comes into contact with pollen, cells in the lining of your nose, mouth and eyes release a chemical called histamine that triggers the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
Starting on an anti-hayfever programme ahead of when the pollen is in the air, makes a lot of sense. Fortunately, nature has provided some of its own remedies…
QUERCETIN: Quercetin, found naturally in fruit rind, is one of several bioflavonoids with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-histamine properties. Thought to be one of the most active flavonoids, it inhibits the production and release of histamine and other allergic and inflammatory mediators from the body’s mast cells.
VITAMIN B5: Vitamin B5 is vital in the production of the stress-regulating hormones in the adrenal glands and is often called the ‘anti-stress vitamin’. In supporting the adrenal glands it helps to regulate the production of cortisone, the body’s natural anti-inflammatory hormone.
BILBERRY: Bilberry is rich in flavonoids known to help improve blood flow and the delivery of oxygen to the eye, and help prevent the release of inflammatory chemicals such as leukotrienes, histamine and prostaglandins. Bilberry was used by pilots during WWI I to help with night vision, so it has a long history of use in eye health.
EYEBRIGHT: Eyebright has broad protective properties, helping with inflammation, styes, eye fatigue symptoms, sensitivity to light, weeping, stinging, and functional eye disorders of muscular and nervous origin. When ingested, it can also help with nasal catarrh and congestion.
PYCNOGENOL: A natural extract from pine bark, this patented powder is a powerful anti-histamine, offering relief from a wide range of inflammatory and respiratory conditions, including hayfever.
A wonderful side-effect of Pycnogenol is its ability to protect the fine capillary network, improving skin appearance, reducing age-spots, aiding in cognitive function, protecting the cardiovascular system and even preventing long haul flight DVT.
More information on all these remedies available in-store.
Marie Watson takes Pycnogenol to help keep her hayfever at bay.
Marie, 45, explains:
“I didn’t even realise I was allergic to pollen until we moved from Kent to Bucks nine years ago in 1999.
At first I just seemed to be sneezing more than usual but by the following year my symptoms were much worse; my eyes were streaming and my mouth was incredibly itchy.
It was the itch in fact that prompted me to see my GP. I didn’t realise this too was symptomatic of hay fever and so was quite concerned, but my GP assured me it was.
Where we live we’re quite close to the Chiltern Hills; there’s a lot of rape seed and the pollen counts can be quite high — this could easily account for my sudden allergy. My doctor suggested antihistamines which helped with my eyes and the sneezing but my mouth was still very itchy. A stronger nasal spray did help but I wasn’t keen to use it because it contained steroids.
I wanted a natural alternative and so decided to try Pycnogenol. I remembered reading an article on how Pycnogenol, a pine bark extract, could help with the symptoms of hay fever and hoped it would help with my mouth and throat.
I wasn’t disappointed. Within five days the itch had gone. That was two years ago and I’ve been taking Pycnogenol ever since. During the summer months and when the pollen count is particularly high I take between three and four capsules a day, and during the winter months, just the one capsule.
Occasionally I have the odd sneeze but nothing too severe, my eyes are absolutely fine and my mouth no longer itches, which is such a relief. Pycnogenol is certainly the best hay fever remedy I’ve come across and I won’t be without it.”
Quercetin works, even for a florist! As a florist and busy mother, Sarah Tynan cannot afford to suffer from hayfever. “It doesn’t look good for business to have itchy, bloodshot eyes,” she explains. “Each Spring my symptoms appear and I feel as though my eyes are falling out of my head.”
Sarah had tried everything the chemist could offer without relief and so it was to her local health food store she went for help. They suggested QuercetinNitamin B5 Complex together with the herbal remedy Bilberry/Eyebright. Each day she took one capsule of each and quickly noticed her symptoms disappearing.
She says: “If I am honest, although I felt better, I didn’t really believe the natural remedies were working. But when I stopped taking the capsules, it was hideous. All the symptoms came rushing back and my eyes were back on fire. I quickly started taking the capsules again and within a few days my eyes were back to normal. It really made a huge difference.”
If a florist who is surrounded by pollen all day long can find hayfever relief, there is hope for us all!
For Naomi, the drugs just don’t work. She started suffering from hayfever in her mid- teens. At first antihistamines seemed to keep it at bay, but it wasn’t long before she became immune to these…
“I suddenly started suffering with hay fever at the age of 15. What I thought was just a cold soon escalated into a full blown allergy. My eyes were very sore and itchy and looked as if I’d been crying the whole time, my nose wouldn’t stop running and I couldn’t stop sneezing; I felt as if I had a permanent cold!
My doctor was quick to diagnose hay fever and every year since, I’ve had the same warning signs, an itchy nose or suspicious sneezing, towards the end of April. At first antihistamines seemed to work for me; I’d take them throughout the hay fever period without any symptoms, but after a couple of seasons I noticed they were no longer as effective as they had once been.
My mum could see I was suffering again, so asked at the local health shop to see if there were any natural remedies that might help. They suggested I try Quercetin with vitamin B5 together with the herbal remedy Bilberry & Eyebright. Quercetin, found naturally in fruit rind, inhibits the body’s inflammatory response and Bilberry and Eyebright are traditional herbs for eye health.
I started taking them at the beginning of May and continued taking them until the end of the hay fever season, which for me is usually mid-August, and I couldn’t believe how much better I felt. I don’t think I had any ‘hay fever’ sneezes that summer, my nose wasn’t itchy and my eyes were no longer sore or red.
That was almost two years ago. Last year I used the same combination of herbals to ensure the season passed without event and I’ve already stocked up with Quercetin for this year.”
Lorna McPartlan, 39, a receptionist and mother of two, was baffled when at age 35 she suddenly developed hayfever. Anti-histamines helped a little, but there were days when she felt so awful she didn’t want to get up…
“My hayfever started four years ago. At the time I thought I had fallen ill with flu; I felt very sinusy with a blocked head, running nose and streaming eyes — I had no reason to suspect any kind of allergy.
However, after a month and a half of trying to treat what I thought was the most stubborn cold ever, I finally admitted defeat and took myself off to my GP.
He was quick to diagnose hayfever which surprised me considerably. I’d never had hayfever before but, as my doctor pointed out, the pollen count of where I lived may have changed making me more susceptible; there were certainly more yellow rape fields than there were before, plus where we are in the Highlands, the wind can bring the pollen in.
Either way, I had hayfever. My doctor recommended anti-histamines and while these did help a little, I was never free of all the symptoms. My eyes and nose stopped running but I still felt uncomfortably congested.
For three years I persevered but then last year I decided I couldn’t bear another season. I asked at my local health shop and they recommended I try Quercetin B5 Complex. I was happy to try anything; the last thing I wanted was another summer with a stuffy head.
I started taking one capsule a day at the beginning of June last year and within two to three days I noticed an immediate improvement. After just one week all my symptoms had completely disappeared.
I continued taking the capsules until the end of September and for the whole hayfever season I remained symptom-free. Needless to say, I’ve already stocked up in anticipation for this year’s pollen onslaught!”
Tags: Adrenal Glands, Anti Oxidant, B5 Vitamin, Bilberry, Bioflavonoids, Bloodshot Eyes, Cortisone, Flavonoids, Flowering Plants, Fruit Rind, Harmless Substance, Hay Fever, Histamine, Inflammatory Mediators, Mast Cells, Nettles, Pollen Cells, Pollen Count, Runny Nose, Vitamin B5
