Abbas says: Remember to take a shower and change your clothes if you've been in the countryside, to remove pollen from your hair and body.
Summer is a time for making the most of the great outdoors. For lots of people though, hay fever can put a stop to having fun in the sun. This Hay Fever advice from our Thornbury store's Pharmacy Manager Abbas Bashir will help you keep the sneezes at bay at the height of pollen season - from late May until the end of July.
Hay Fever Symptoms:
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to airborne grass and tree pollens. Around 20% of people in the UK are sufferers, and affected by one or more of the following symptoms:
While there’s no cure for hay fever, it’s possible to minimise the risk of being struck down by pollen allergies.
Hay Fever Treatment:
1. Avoid contact with pollen
Before looking at how to treat hay fever itself, try and nip the symptoms in the bud. It’s a good idea to check the weather forecast, and make sure your windows and doors are firmly shut on the days when a high pollen count is predicted.
2. Wear sunglasses and a hat
If you do need to go outside, this will help keep pollen out of your eyes, and away from your hair - where it can linger and fall onto your face causing the symptoms above. The NHS recommends wraparound glasses to stop the tiny pollens sneaking in.
3. Try over the counter remedies
The next line of defence, hay fever remedies from your Pharmacy fall in two categories: systemic and local. Systemic remedies are taken orally and work on the whole body, while local remedies work just on the area affected by hay fever, like your eyes or nose.
Shop online for hay fever and allergy medicines
Visit one of our experts in a Morrisons Pharmacy (in selected stores) if you have any questions or need further advice about managing hay fever or rhinitis. If your symptoms worsen or you are struggling to get your hay fever under control, we recommend that you consult your GP.
