As hay fever season approaches, affecting around 25 per cent of the UK population from late March to September, an NHS GP has shared crucial advice for managing symptoms. Dr Nighat Arif, speaking on Instagram, highlighted a common mistake people make with antihistamines: taking them too late.
Dr Arif, who experiences hay fever herself in early March, explained that the immune system mistakenly treats harmless pollen as an invader, flooding the nose with histamine and causing sniffles, sneezing, and watery eyes. To combat this, she recommends starting medication before symptoms begin. “Take a non-drowsy antihistamine like loratadine or fexofenadine before your symptoms start. Waiting until you are sneezing means that the histamine flood has already happened,” she said.
In addition to early medication, Dr Arif suggests using a pollen barrier such as Vaseline. “Dab the Vaseline in or around the nose, and that acts as an allergy-balm around your nostrils,” she advised. This traps pollen particles before they enter nasal passages, but she emphasised reapplying throughout the day for it to be effective.
Dr Arif also recommends controlling your immediate environment. Keep windows closed during high pollen counts, wipe down desks daily with a damp cloth (dry dusting can kick pollen into the air), and avoid hanging your commuter coat on your chair, as it acts as a “pollen delivery system.”
