Spring is coming = Hay fever time – “Top 5 Hay

fever survival tips” by Truefoodsblog

For the most of us, it is probably the most beautiful time of the year. The Birds start singing, the Crops start growing and the flowers start blooming. Bees are carrying the first pollen around and the whole nature wakes up slowly.

But for an increasing number of people, this time of the year can also be a nightmare: people with  Hay fever-, and other pollen allergies. I (Moritz) Include myself to these people, after years of beautiful springs with having this issue I told myself to find a solution/easing to most of the problems regarding pollen allergies. I want to share with you my Top 5 survival tips which helped me a lot during pollen and hay season to enjoy life as well.

1. Wash your Hair every evening before you go to bed!

Maybe you think now, what has this to do with my allergy, but in fact, it is easy to explain. You are walking outside in the middle of “the storm of pollen and hay” during the day so of course, some of them will settle down in your hair as well. To prevent rubbing them into your laundry in your bed, washing your hair and scrubbing them out is the best method. Same counts for your clothing, which you do not have to wash every evening, but at least don´t bring them to your bedroom (rather join team pyjama).

2. “My eyes itch all the time” – The Black Tee pads trick!

Red zombie eyes and the ongoing need for itching my eyes problem is known by every allergic person. One solution to relieve this feeling is The Black Tee pads trick (Invented by the lovely Claire).

The preparation is pretty simple, just cook some black tea and let it cool down. Then soak two cotton rounds in the cold tea and wring them a little bit out. Place them on your eyes and lay down for 5-10 minutes and you will feel how it slowly gets better. Use the time also to calm down a little bit, your immune system needs lots of rest in this season – start meditating for example.

Dandelion flying around in the springtime

The best is in high pollen season to always have some cold Black tea prepared the day before.

3. Minimize consumption of Alkohol and Cigarettes – seriously!

You may now think, “is my Mother or Husband writing this article?” But no it’s me, a 24-year-old Guy who experimented a lot in finding reliefs for allergic reactions suffer.

“But what has my consumption of alcohol and cigarettes to do with my allergy?” 

I tell you what! While you are sneezing, itching, crying and literally dying your immune system is the one working like a beast. For your body all the pollen coming into your system are an enemy, alarm signal red is constantly ringing. And because your body and immune system love you it is fighting for you against this pollen – the allergic reaction.

“And where is the point with alc and cigs?”

Simple answer: Your body has not enough time and power to take care of these free radicles coming into your system as well. He is working so hard for you and you give him even more work to do when enjoying too much alcohol (and cigs anyways). The result is your immune system slows down and the allergic reactions are getting even more severe.

“But do I have to stop enjoying and having a good time now?”

I am not your doctor and I would never want you to stop enjoying your life. One thing though is clear if you overexert your immune system by external influence during the high allergic season it will act as a boomerang and you will be the victim of your own bad habits. And there is plenty of fun to have even with low to no alcohol and tobacco consumption.

4. Take a break from the pollen – “The Allergy vacation”

What I have done the last few years is taking at least a 5-7 Days so-called “Allergy vacation”. What that means is that you plan one vacation per year best as possible in the pollen high season.

To determine when this time will be you should go to a doctor, make a skin prick test so that he can tell you where your allergic reaction is coming from. After that, you search online on pages like the National Bureau Pollen Report (or equivalents in your country). Example Below:

National Bureau Pollen Report example

With this information in mind, you can plan a vacation to a place/country with low pollen flight or no pollen flight at all. The Data is mostly available as a weekly, monthly or yearly calendar.

We went to Morocco last year during pollen high season in April and that was the best decision I could have made. My body and immune system had time to breath and load up for the second pollen wave in May/June. Overall the year 2017 was a year with a low suffer rate for me because of these prevention methods!

5. Prepare well for the next season – “The Winter is perfect for your desensitization”

This is a long-term prevention method which I am practicing since 2-3 winters and my allergy is already much better now. Key is to slowly confront your body and immune system in the winter with what he will have to expect in the spring and summer.

The Desensitization works as follows: Get some Honey or bee pollen from sustainable, organic and local beekeepers. Include them in your daily diet during the cold season (e.g eat one spoon of honey raw per day or some pollen on your cereals). Important hereby is that the products come from the region where you will live during the coming spring/summer time.

Your body and immune system will now have the chance to get slowly confronted with the pollen which will come in mass during the high season. Because our best friends the bees carry them around in springtime and preserve them in their golden nectar. You will notice after the first year that this natural desensitization method works wonders.

Hay Fever do you feel it? (memegenerator)

If you have any more tips and ideas let us know in the comments section below. The community will be thankful for sharing. May it be a pleasant spring for all of you and we hope our tips help.