Around two hundred years ago hay fever was unheard of, we didn’t need any hay fever hacks.
Hayfever is quite a modern allergy, and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
In it’s ‘heyday’ (excuse the pun), you’d be smoking tobacco or inhaling deadly ammonia chloride to try and relieve your symptoms and it was thought to be an anglo-saxon derived condition.
A trip to the seaside for a dose of fresh sea air was also a popular remedy back in the day – while a tub of vaseline and packet of tissues is the more modern hay fever fix of today.
Hit by Hay Feverย Symptoms
“Bless you”
“Your eyes look a bit red”
“Have you got a cold?”
Of all the things we love about summertime, hay fever certainly isn’t one of them.
I remember coming across a few UK news articles warning of a looming wave of intense hay fever symptoms that were on the way due to a mix of windy and humid weather.
In some ways, hay fever is worse than a cold – at least a cold usually makes sense and you know it’ll be over in a few days. Hay fever can be less predictable and more unbearable – when your throat and eyes are both itching and nothing brings relief – that’s torture ๐ท
For those who suffer badly with hay fever, I sympathise deeply, the red eyes and runny nose in the heat of summer is a real struggle.
Different remedies work for different people, but maybe some of the following tips might help!
Antihistamine Tablets
I’m not a fan of turning to drugs ย – unless nothing else seems to be working, but I guess sometimes quick relief is needed. Antihistamines are available over the counter and supposed to be handy for relieving a range of allergy symptoms.
Put a Curtain Up
It might help to have a tightly woven voile in your windows to catch pollen particles when you open the windows (rather than a more porous net curtain or nothing at all).
Dairy Products
Time and time again I keep coming across advice and recommendations to reduce dairy products, particularly cows milk/cheese, for all manner of illnesses, not to mention hay fever.
Don’t Peg It Out
Avoid hanging washing out to dry when the pollen count is high, check it on a weather ย forecast for your area.
Herbal Help
There are lots of websites all offering tips and tricks to deal with hay fever; a common herbal remedy seems to be nettles, which have anti-allergenic properties.
I’m guessing drinking nettle tea is the best way to get this into your system.
Liquorice tea is also said to be helpful and Olbas oil is a great natural decongestant that contains eucalyptus.

I also remember reading something about lavender essential oils…..
Wash it away
Have a shower, wash your face, hair and change your clothes immediately after you’ve been outdoors – wash the pollen off your person.
Vaseline
Rub some around the insides of your nostrils to catch pollen particles before they get any further up your nose and into your throat.
Natural beeswax will do the same thing – a bit more organic and complimentary to health.
Don’t Stress

Studies show that stress can make your allergies worse ย and highly stressed populations tend to suffer with more allergies, so chill, relax, breath and find your ‘happy place’.
Modern Therapies
Salt therapy is a new one to me – but apparently it’s pretty effective.
For readers in the UK, the Allergy & Free From Show takes place every year featuring lots of top allergy experts, it might be worth checking it out!
Good luck to us all over the coming weeks – tissues at the ready.
What are your 21st century tips and tricks for tackling hay fever – please do share below?ย ย
boxfords
I’ve found wearing a facemask helps!
boxfords
#hayfever
Kathrine Krogulec
#hayfever Weleda have a natural remedy which my GP recommended
matt allison
Starting eating locally produced honey as soon as the hay fever season starts!!
Victoria Prince
Find someone that sells locally produced honey (and I mean local) – it really does work.
gemma croxford
put vaseline inside your nostril
Lorraine Williams
#hayfever local honey and lemon drink also take your antihistamines early enough so in your system.
kelliec3
Vaseline under your nostrils
Michelle Bruce
#Hayfever You can now buy allergy wipes which my husband has found really helpful this year.
Dell
#Hayfever A teaspoon of local honey every day through the year, helps lessen the attacks, if been outside chuck clothes straight into washing machine and have a shower
Mary Campbell
Antihistamine tablets work well for me ๐
Theresa Cooke
mine has got better the fitter I am. weirdly since i took up running, its not as bad.
Pauline Dring
Interesting article. Dairy free is good I believe but if you canโt manage that, goats milk can be better for people with allergies than cows milk
Helen newton
Put a bit of Vaseline under your nostrils to stop hayfever particles entering #hayfever
Jacqui ruddy
I put slices of cold cucumber from the fridge on my eyes and lay on my bed listening to soothing music which helps me relax while the cool cucumber soothes my sore eyes #hayfever
Jacqui ruddy
I put slices of cold cucumber from the fridge on my eyes and lay on my bed listening to soothing music which helps me relax while the cool cucumber soothes my sore eyes
Chris Knowles
Buy locally produced honey to build up immunity to local pollen
Sara Goodman
#hayfever I started drinking liquorice tea because I really like it, and I’ve realised that it’s also keeping my hayfever at bay. Win/win! x
Caroline h
Strong antihistamines from the doctor!
Roxanne Warner
#hayfever eat local honey before hay fever season to build immunity to local pollen
colin daniel
#hayfever I find using antihistamines work for me.
Debbie Bird
keep your windows closed when the pollen count is high and vaseline under your nose can help
Emma Davison
#hayfever an antihistamine tablet
sue mcdermott
#hayfever take a spoon of local honey daily
Anonymous
Putting a small amount of Vicks in each nostril is a great help.
Rebecca Rowley
Anti-histamines first thing and I wear sunglasses when outdoors.
Debbie Hoare
The masks that weโve been having to wear were a very good remedy in the fight against hay fever this time last year!
Cara Towers
Local honey helps, take a couple of teaspoons a day & cucumber slices are very cooling on itchy eyes ๐
Mary Baldwin
I have to resort to anti-histamines to try and control it, but local honey also helps.
Rikki Goldrick
#hayfever Beconase nasal spray twice a day! Honestly life changing!
Carolyn
#hayfever local honey for breakfast helps my hubby, but having a mask and using Vaseline too really works.
Ruth davies
Chamomile tea
Laura Whittle
#hayfever I try not to dry bedding outside in case it picks up the pollen and I also eat local honey regularly as Iโve read it can ease hay fever symptoms.
Jo Young
#hayfever I always use over the counter antihistamines as they’re stronger than what is on the shelf. I’ve also been advised to occasionally change the active ingredient as your body gets used to the drugs. Also always wear sunglasses outside and put vaseline around your nostrils.
Hazel Rea
Start eating local honey well before the hayfever season starts. The more local the honey the better! It really does work for some people.
Sharon Fordham
Vaseline round the nostrils #hayfever
Gareth Edwards
little bit of vaseline at the end of your nose #hayfever
ROBERT MCINTOSH
Applying a wee touch of Vaseline or similar helps me
David Edwards
Replace the car aircon pollen filter at the beginning of the season.
Dawn A
I use Beconase and Opticrom. #hayfever
Karen Usher
I love to put cucumbers on my eyes before bed after having hayfever all day, although it doesnt rid me of hayfever it does relax my eyes and make them less puffy!
Claire Kendrick
Best hay-fever remedy I’ve found is drinking a fresh fruit smoothie infused with local honey every morning when the pollen count is high #hayfeverhacks
louise lumsden
I wash my & dry hair before I go to bed and change my pillowcase every day too because I noticed my hay fever got worse when I got into bed, it made a huge difference. Give your brushes and combs a wash too after brushing or combing pollen out of your hair or you’re just putting the pollen back in!
Sophie Dolan
Hayfever Wipes have literally changed our lives! ๐
Catherine Scorey
#Hayfever
I find a spoonful of honey ๐ฏ each morning helps
Nicola SAdler
I use hay fever wipes to remove pollen, but it comes back very quickly. I take anti-histermines to help ease symptoms and that seems to do the trick. #hayfever
Sarah Austin
Eating manuka honey seems to work!
Catherine Thomas
#hayfever A teaspoon of Manuka Honey works wonders
Catherine Thomas
A teaspon of manuka honey always works wonderful for me.
TERRY DUNN
Steam inhalations
Steven Bufton
Getting a Hepa air filter really helps to clear the air in any room and remove pollen #hayfever
Andrea Fletcher
I have a friend who says eating local honey works for her.
Felicity williams
Antihistamines help me and staying indoors when the pollen count is very high x
allan evans
Always local honey,and start taking hayfever medicine,when the weather starts to get warmer,even if you have no symptoms yet
amy simpson
local honey.don’t hang washing out,on high pollen days,under nose barrier ointments
Julie Dixon
Antihistamines usually work well
Abbygayle May
#hayfever eat honey and use a saline spray
Tammy Angus
A few things worked for me as prevention such as……….
-Local honey
-Washing my hair every night
-Daily antihistamine in the morning and night during peak seasons.
Then when i’m having major trouble with itchy eyes I purchased an eye cool pack….absolute magic.
Jonathan
Local honey worked for me, although I couldn’t find any science behind it. #hayfever
Heather Macklin
#hayfever I run an air purifier by my bed for several hours before bedtime and it really helps – I don’t wake up with a runny nose even in peak hay fever season!
Anii Y
eat more citrus fruits which are natural antihistamine #hayfever
Anii Y
eat more citrus fruits which are natural antihistamine
Elaine a Alexander
I have been taking antihistamines for years and even had injections when I was younger which helped for a while, but now I don’t get it quite as bad as it was. I had a lot of time off work and used to stay indoors if the pollen count was high, it was like a very bad summer cold with the runny eyes, sneezing and sore throat – I try and buy local honey, coat my nostrils with Vaseline, wash my hair every day, change my clothes regularly, wash the sheets every day and take a couple of antihistamines every day if I feel any symptoms, but am always on the lookout at new pills and medicines on the market.
Anonymous
Keeping my hair tied back during the day and at night back seems to help as well, hair picks up a lot of pollen and dust from the air. #hayfever
CD
Nose spray to coat the inside of the nostrils
Anonymous
Forgot to add #hayfever
Katie J
I always do the vaseline trick! Sometimes nasal spray is really good to help clean out my airways and I will change clothes if I’ve been outside all day as I just end up continually sneezing otherwise.
Caroline Kelly
vaseline around my nostrils
Anonymous
#Hayfever eat local honey
kathcake2017
hay fever tablets are great!
Kathryn Cox
Quite topical……wear a facemask! So far, I’ve not been hit by the dreaded hayfever ๐ฎ๐ฎ
Tammy Neal
I find hay fever tablets help
greenlibrarybooks
My mum wasn’t able to find anything that worked so looked at Chinese medicine. I wasn’t sure about it but it worked for her! #HayfeverHacks
Sharon Bell
Antihistamines tend to work for me, but when not I do us the Vaseline trick
Louise Taylor (@lou_taylor01)
vaseline around the nostrils works very well!
Lorraine Stone (@lorraine606)
Green tea is great for hayfever sufferers, in the short term at least. Giving a break from meds.
Mandy Betts
Local honey works absolute wonders! It’s the only thing that has ever worked for me, as I get hay fever so severe it’s ruins my life. It has to be local though otherwise it won’t work! #HayfeverHacks
janine atkin
one a day tablets work for me
Carrie-Anne Brown
try and take a tablet when you wake up or after breakfast
David Smith
wear a mask!
Dawn Rowley-White
Drinking a ‘cleansing’ tea, such as peppermint.
Laura Pritchard
Dose yourself up with anti-histamines!
Hannah
I always try and take a hay fever tablet as soon as a wake up, or if I get up to the loo early morning, take one then to get a head start!
Sally Collingwood
Take a cold and flu tablet as soon as you get up, it really helps me!
wheresjwo
Thanks for the tips. I have always had horrible allergies and California had an incredibly wet winter so things are blooming like crazy. I will try the Vaseline. That’s new to me.
Cherryl
Fingers crossed for you, hope it doesn’t get too bad – if you find anything that seems to work well for you let me know ๐๐ ๐ป
wheresjwo
I have been diligently using Vaseline as you suggested and if nothing else, it is keeping the inside of my nose from being constantly raw and in pain. Yay!
Cherryl
Glad it’s helping – hayfever is torture!
The Snow Melts Somewhere
Yep, I’m one of them! ๐
Cherryl
Fingers crossed for a low pollen count!! ๐ท
The Snow Melts Somewhere
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