Struggling with hay fever? This is why you need to swap your pint for a gin and tonic

HAY FEVER sufferers across the country can rejoice because easing your symptoms could be as simple as switching your pint for a gin and tonic.

For those suffering extreme hayfever, asthma can rear its ugly head as a nasty side effect.

And for those sufferers, it can prove beneficial to swap wine, beer and cider for clear spirits, according to 

While others might be better to ditch all booze.

The charity's in-house GP Dr Andy Whittamore told The Sun Online: "For some people, any alcohol can act as an asthma trigger, while others may only find symptoms come on when they have a particular kind of drink.

"Alcoholic drinks contain histamine, which is found at particularly high levels in red wine and some beers.

"Histamine is the same substance that is released in the body when you have an allergic reaction [such as hay fever] and in some people, may trigger asthma symptoms.

"You should avoid these drinks if you know they are a trigger for you."

White wine also contains a high level of sulphites which can exacerbate symptoms like wheezing.

Clear spirits such as gin and vodka are both low in these natural food chemicals and are best to reach for in the beer garden to avoid a sneezing fit.

Young adults are twice as likely to suffer from hay fever than the older generations with a whopping 48 per-cent of 16-24-year-olds struck down on a seasonal basis.

Roughly one in five will suffer from hay fever in their lifetime and the allergy affects ten million people in England.