Hay fever? Check out some tips from experienced allergists

Nature is blooming, and it is very dry. Climate change is making the pollen season longer and longer. Bad news for hay fever sufferers, many of whom suffer from pollen from grasses and trees. Especially now, because soon the question arises: is this a pollen allergy, flu or are you sick of a new coronavirus? Or is it something else?

~ dr. Jan Bakker, former senior doctor at the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam (AMC)

The table below shows when the pollen appears. Birch (April), flowering grasses (May-September) and the mugwort weed (July-August) cause the greatest nuisance.

About one in five people suffer from hay fever. “It’s a hypersensitivity reaction to something your body shouldn’t react to.” The frustrating thing for those who suffer from it is that there is little that can be done about it.

So what’s smart to do?

Of course it starts with a good diagnosis. If you even suspect that you have corona, get yourself tested quickly. Are you in doubt between pollen allergy (outdoors) or house dust mites (indoors)? Even then: have yourself tested for this. If it is hay fever, there are various remedies that can reduce your allergic reaction. You can usually buy them without a prescription at the drugstore. There are tablets, drops and nasal sprays.

The following tips can help you with that

Ventilate your home early in the morning and late at night. The amount of pollen in the air is usually the lowest at those times.
Never sleep with the window open.
Install a pollen screen. This is a special screen that prevents pollen from entering.
Do not dry your laundry outside. The pollen can stick to it.
Sometimes it helps if you wear sunglasses outside. The pollen is less likely to irritate your eyes.
If the situation at home or in the office does not allow this, consider filtering the indoor air. A mobile air purifier such as the Brise C360 from SUVIOS can be additionally effective. Not only does this minimize pollen exposure; this also applies to viruses such as corona and flu!

Current, daily information can be found on the website https://www.express.co.uk/latest/hay-fever with the accompanying hay fever radar.