For gardeners, it’s a cruel irony that hay fever season happens at the best time of the year to be in the garden. There are so many jobs to be getting on with and so many beautiful plants to enjoy – but if you suffer with hay fever heading outside can feel like the worst thing to do.
You don’t have to stay indoors until the hay fever season is over though: there are lots of ways to prepare for and deal with hay fever symptoms. Boots have sent me a great hay fever survival kit to help encourage me to get out in the garden despite the pollen – it even includes hypoallergenic seeds! As someone who is allergic to grass pollen I’ve never really thought about the fact that you can be allergic to other plants in your garden – but for those who are, growing things that don’t aggravate your symptoms is a really good way to allow you to continue gardening.
Boots UK Pharmacist Angela Chalmers has also given me some tips to help tackle your hay fever effectively. She explained that many people with hay fever wait until their symptoms strike before they take action, but the earlier you prepare, the better. Your pharmacist can determine the right treatment for your personal symptoms so you can put an effective routine in place. It’s important to use products correctly too; for example, nasal sprays should be used throughout the season for them to work effectively, not just when your nose starts twitching. I didn’t know this, which means I’ve been using them wrong all this time!
Boots have a comprehensive range of treatments to help you manage your hay fever. I’ve always used their allergy relief eye drops to help prevent the dreaded itchy, red eyes that hay fever causes, they really do help enormously. Sunglasses can help too – they act as physical guard against pollen exposure around the sensitive eye area and are an easy way to stay protected.
Hay fever treatment doesn’t have to be all about antihistamine products. If you want to try a more natural remedy the allergy barrier nasal spray is a good option. It’s a powder spray that blocks airborne allergens, reducing allergy symptoms. Because it doesn’t contain any medicines it is suitable for use by children over 18 months – my eldest suffers from hay fever and I like the idea that by using this he doesn’t have to take antihistamines.
The other product in my kit was a new one for me – Boots irritated eyes eye mist. This contains soothing calendula and hamamelis to reduce watering and redness. You need to spray it onto closed eyelids rather than in the eye, it feels really refreshing and smells nice too. If you find allergy eye drops tricky to administer this is a good alternative, I’ll be keeping this one handy for quick relief when I’m in the garden or out and about.
Hay fever can be really miserable, but by getting the right range of products to combat your personal symptoms you can still get outdoors and enjoy gardening despite the pollen count. It’s a really good idea to chat to your pharmacist as they can give you help and advice about the best options for you and your family. Hope you all get out there and enjoy the Summer!
I was sent the hayfever kit as a review gift, but all opinions and comments are honest and genuine.
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