How coconut oil could be the miracle hay fever ‘cure’ you’re desperate for
IF you've run out of Vaseline to stick around your nose and the anti-histamines are no longer doing their job, don't despair.
Simply go into your kitchen and grab a lump of coconut oil instead.
At least, that's the advice from allergy experts, .
Coconut oil might be more commonly used for cooking and body moisturising, but it can also apparently help soothe hay fever symptoms.
Dabbing a little coconut oil around the edges of the nostrils could actually help to trap pollen before you breathe it in.
"This is a great hack if you know you’re going to be out and about near green spaces, but you can also apply your barrier balm before you go to sleep to help reduce night-time and early morning symptoms," the experts say.
"Matured cheeses also tend to contain high levels of histamine.
"And sugar, which causes your body to produce more histamine, can further exacerbate your symptoms.
The three most common substances people react badly to - milk, pollen and wheat - were all originally grass products.
So it could be that hay fever sufferers are actually sensitive to proteins common to anything linked to grass.
2. Reduce your sugar intake
Sugar is a natural inflammatory.
When you eat sugar, you get a blood sugar spike which is shortly followed by a crash.
That crash can cause a sudden release of adrenaline and histamine, which can make your symptoms worse.
So avoid sugary fizzy drinks and rubbish sweets.
If you want something sweet, try to go for fruits or go for snacks that have some added benefit like dates (very sweet but packed with fibre and vitamins) or refined sugar-free energy balls and flapjacks.
3. Get more vitamin C
Oranges and lemons are so, so good for you.
Dr Sarah Brewer previously told The Sun: "Citrus fruits contain antioxidant polyphenols and vitamin C which protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals."
As well as helping with wrinkles, heart disease, cholesterol and potentially cancer, citrus fruits can also help make hay fever symptoms more manageable.
4. Use a cold compress
Itchy eyes are the worst.
For quick release, try soaking a clean flannel in cold water and place over your eyes for ten minutes to reduce any puffiness and calm irritation.
Have a go first thing in the morning, then when you come in from work and again before bed.
5. Wear glasses over contacts
When allergens come into contact with your lenses, natural substances are produced excessively in your tears.
As a result, your contact lenses can become very blurry. By referring to the daily pollen count, you'll know if allergens are present. You can also ask an optician about eye drops which will alleviate the symptoms so that your contact lenses are cleaner for longer.
And of course, there's the chance that you may inadvertently trap little fragments of pollen between your eye and the contact - meaning that you can't escape the irritant.
Switch to daily contact lenses to reduce the risk of contamination or wear your glasses instead.
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