Hayfever

We all know hay fever from TV commercials showing brides destroying bouquets in a single sneeze, if not from personal experience of the frequent and annoying symptoms it produces.  It is perhaps not surprising then that, faced with the bewildering array of options, it can be difficult deciding what is most suitable to treat this common and sometimes disabling condition.

An ounce of prevention of course is worth more than a pound of cure, but eliminating wattle and rye grass from our beautiful rural landscape is just not going to happen.

Closeting oneself in the hermetically sealed house for three months of the year doesn’t bode well for ones mental health either.

Options for the treatment of hayfever are often given as oral antihistamines or intranasal sprays of varying types.  But while oral antihistamines work biochemically right where the action is and they are easy to take, side effects can make them problematic.  Nasal sprays are usually steroidal medications which provide effective localised immune suppression but as is usual with these medications, lack and immediate effect – not great when we get surprised by a sudden surge in pollen counts on warm and windy days.

Is a combination of medications the answer to effective immediate relief as well a keeping overall medication use to a minimum? Certainly this type of strategy has worked well for asthma control, and it appears that a similar strategy now may work for hay fever – could be good news for those of you for whom the onset of Spring brings on nasal congestion similar to a couple of rounds with Mike Tyson.

Additional advice can be found at NPS medwise –  Top 3 tips to beat hay fever