How to stop hay fever interfering with your life
Watery eyes, constant sneezing, itchy skin … hay fever can really put a dampener on your busy day/week/life. Fortunately, relief is at hand.
If you’re one of the many people who suffer from allergic rhinitis, or hay fever as it is commonly known, you know the feeling.
Your eyes start streaming, your throat is itchy and scratchy, your nose is running and you’re sneezing for Australia.
And finding relief is pretty much all you can think about (forget work, kids, house and the fifty trillion other duties on your to do list).
So how do you find respite that won’t slow you down?
Hay fever 101: What you need to know
Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, is the unwelcome guest that crashes the spring and summer party.
It’s not a fever at all, but rather a reaction1 to environmental allergens such as pollens, dust mite, moulds and animal dander.
Common symptoms include frequent sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, a scratchy throat, nasal congestion, and a general feeling of exhaustion.
A common culprit is pollen2, tiny grains released into the air by plants for reproduction.
When these particles meet your nose, eyes, or throat, your immune system mistakenly treats them as threats.
This triggers the release of histamines, which leads to those well-known symptoms.
Depending on where you live in Australia, and the type of pollens you’re allergic to, the season can be pretty long and very testing!
Genetics3 can play a role too – if your parents had hay fever, you’re more likely to develop it.
So, how do you survive hay fever season?
Over-the-counter antihistamines and allergen avoidance strategies can help you reclaim your spring and summer.
To prevent or limit symptoms, minimise your exposure to known allergens by remaining indoors when there’s a high pollen count and on windy days or when thunderstorms are imminent.
Avoiding activities such as mowing grass, using re-circulated air in the car, along with wearing sunglasses, can also help.
If you are exposed to pollen, rinse your eyes with water.
An antihistamine can also help provide relief from symptoms.
Allertine, the first new second-generation antihistamine in over a decade4. Allertine provides symptomatic 24-hour relief without drowsiness for itchy, watery or red eyes, as well as sneezing, a runny or blocked nose and itchy skin, rashes or hives5.
Allertine contains the active ingredient bilastine, found6 to provide sustained and lasting relief for up to 24 hours for symptoms of hayfever.
Simply take one tablet a day and say sayonara to hay fever stealing your sunshine this season!
* This post is brought to you by Allertine.
Always read the Label and follow the directions for use. Ask your pharmacist about this product.
1Better Health Channel, 2022, Hay fever, retrieved September 2023 from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/hay-fever
2Healthdirect, 2021, Pollen allergy, retrieved September 2023 from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/pollen-allergy
3Thomsen et al, 2006, Genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins, Respiratory Medicine, 100:12 p2177-2182, retrieved September 2023 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0954611106001533
4IRI Data on file
5Allertine Product Information, May 2023
6Kawauchi H et al, 2019, Antihistamines for Allergic Rhinitis Treatment from the Viewpoint of Nonsedative Properties, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2019, 20(1), 213, funded by research grants from Meiji Seika Pharma, Glaxo Smith Kline, Taiho Pharma, Sanofi, Kyorin Pharmaceutical Company, retrieved September 2023 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30626077/
