HEALTH + WELLNESS
HAY FEVER CONT .
For your diet
There are few proven remedies for hay fever except over-the-counter antihistamine medications - but diet may help . Some foods are natural antihistamines . Create a diet rich in this lovely lot and you ’ ll help reduce the effect of histamines and so reduce your symptoms .
Remember to take a supplement . Omega 3 , vitamin E , vitamin C and spirulina are the fantastic four of the anti-allergy world . Find a supplement containing these natural antihistamines and you ’ ll help and strengthen your immune system ’ s response to inflammation .
Choose healthy foods . Capers , red onions and watercress are punchy ingredients that contain high amounts of the natural antihistamine , quercetin , a plant flavonoid that has been shown to reduce allergy reactivity . Snack on pineapple too - it contains bromelain , which helps the body to absorb quercetin . Broccoli , kale , and peppers give a boost to the immune system , which will stop you getting hay fever quite so badly ; sweet potato and spinach are handy for keeping the lining on the inside of your nose stable ; and vitamin B5 , found in avocados , oily fish , and chicken is a good all-rounder for reducing allergic symptoms .
Go for the hottest curry on the menu . Or , if you ’ re making your own , go heavy on the spices . Turmeric , an orange-yellow spice , widely used in curries and South Asian cuisine , is believed to reduce inflammation caused by the enzyme , phospholipase A2 , which is provoked into action by pollen in your system .
Avoid triggering foods . People with pollen allergy may experience worse allergic symptoms when they eat food that contains proteins similar to those found in the pollen to which they are allergic . Called ‘ pan-allergens ’, they can be found in melon , watermelon , bananas , citrus fruits and tomatoes , so be wary if they cause you symptoms . People with birch allergy might be sensitive to eating apples , celery , carrots , hazelnuts , oranges and courgettes too , with a recent study in Germany discovering that 70 % of patients allergic to birch pollen were found to experience symptoms when exposed to foods containing pan-allergens .
We had a chat with Dr Jean Emberlin , a pollen expert speaking on behalf of Opticrom ( opticrom . co . uk ), to identify some of the most common misconceptions regarding hayfever and how people ( and outdoor runners specifically ) can keep their symptoms under control .
“ The first thing is to recognise that it is most likely hay fever you ’ re struggling with and not a cold because at this time of year particularly , there is pollen in the air and we ’ re just at the beginning of the birch pollen season , which affects about 25 % of hay fever sufferers , so the first thing is to realise you ’ ve got hayfever and then either talk to your pharmacist or GP to find adequate medication ,” says Jean .
“ Cellulose powder that you puff up your nose such as Nasaleze , forms a gel layer right up inside your nose , which stops the allergens reaching the mast cells that cause the hay fever reaction . For runny eyes , get some eye drops containing sodium cromoglicate , such as Opticrom , which will clear the bleariness and help you focus .”
“ The big problem for runners with hay fever is that their training involves breathing more deeply , taking in more air and inevitably taking in more pollen and spores that will aggravate their symptoms ,” explains Jean . “ A lot of runners breathe through their mouth as well as their nose , so they need to be very careful in managing their exposure to pollen , but there is advice they can follow that will help .”
Time your runs around the worst of the pollen count . The highest pollen counts are usually first thing in the morning and late afternoon , so if you do have the luxury of choosing when you train , a lunchtime run will be much easier on your symptoms .
Avoid running through long flowering grass , or through woods . If you can , keep to open , short grass areas or tracks , so you don ’ t stir up the pollen as you run . Sticking to urban environments is preferable too , but away from roads and polluted , built up areas .
Shower straight after your run . Wash the pollen off your skin and always wash your hair . Even if you pop to the shops between training sessions , it ’ s a good idea wash your nose and eyes out when you get back inside .
Wear wraparound sunglasses . These are great for keeping pollen out of your eyes and for preventing exposure to bright sunshine , which will only exaggerate the symptoms of already aggravated eyes .
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