Are you thankful for rain at this time of year?
I am – it damps down the pollen, and reduces my Hayfever.
I can think of one patient in particular who is definitely doing a happy dance, albeit gently. She is pregnant, and so she can’t take the normal over-the-counter remedies, such as Clarityn or Piriton. She asked me the other day if I knew of any natural ways of dealing with it . . .
Stopping the pollen from hitting those delicate sensitive mucus membranes inside your nose is a start, whether something as simple as rubbing some Vaseline around the inside of your nose, or a more dedicated anti-allergy product such as Prevalin, which you squirt up your nose. It is a moderately disgusting sensation, but worth it! Sainsbury’s have brought out something similar.
Recently I spotted Benadryl’s Natural Relief Nasal Spray – which so far has proved very effective.
I wish these had been available when I was going through my chemotherapy back in 2006 – since I lost all my hair, and I mean all, such as inside my nostrils, which meant there was no natural capture-and-collect barrier.
Another protective measure is to use anti-itching eye drops, eg Optrex. These are very helpful – I make sure I have a bottle in my handbag, as well as at home.
There is also an Allergy Eye Mist, that you spray onto your closed eyes (again, Sainsbury’s own – and I’m sure other supermarkets offer similar).
Here are some other more natural strategies that you might find helpful:
Local honey is worth a go, if you like it. I was told years ago that you need to get the white solid honey rather than the runny honey, since the white one is made from the spring pollen, whereas the runny honey is made from the summer pollen. You do need to start taking it during the preceding winter, so this is more of a long-haul strategy. Worth bearing in mind for next year.
Nutritionally, dairy can contribute to mucus formation, and some people find that their allergies are greatly helped by avoiding dairy. Again this is a slower preparatory path to explore.
Homeopathy – Weleda does a Mixed Pollen Grain remedy, and again you need to start taking this before your own Hayfever season starts, so that you are preparing your body to deal more effectively with the pollen invasion.
Vogel’s do a herbal remedy, Pollinosan, in both tablet form, and as a nasal spray. This is more for the symptoms when you are in the thick of it all – the runny nose, the streaming eyes, the sneezing . . .
With all that sneezing and runny nose and tears – you are losing water, and losing salt. Here is a tip I have found hugely helpful – drink a large glass of water in which you have dissolved a grain or two of a good quality salt, whether sea or rock salt. You can’t taste the salt, yet the trace elements help to rehydrate you most effectively. And keep drinking lots of water throughout the day.
Thinking of salt, in the New Era Tissue Salt range, #9, is salt in homeopathic preparation: Nat Mur. Again, this is wonderful for your streaming eyes and runny nose. Shake a couple of the little white tablets into the cap of the pot, tip them onto your tongue, preferably without touching them, and let them dissolve. They taste vaguely sweet so are not unpleasant. Available from your local health food shop.
Also, elderflower (whether tea, or cordial) is excellent for calming down your streaming nose. Similarly nettle tea.
Here is a more sideways-thinking tip which I have also found to be really useful. If you dry your clothes outside, they will pick up the pollen in the air, and then re-kindle your symptoms. This is especially true of bed-linen, which can be why you have a sneezing fit when you go to bed. Since I learnt this, I have taken to drying all my wet washing indoors. I have had high rails put up within door frames, or across the stairwell, so that I can easily put clothes on hangers and hang them up to dry.
Given that I am also a long term and dedicated non-ironer, this helps the creases to drop out, so it’s definitely a win-win for me 
If you’ve been out for a walk, wear a peaked hat to keep the pollen off your hair and out of your eyes – or at least one of those eye visors. When you get home give it a good shake outside before you come in, as well as your jacket or outermost layer.
Wipe any lingering pollen off your head/hair/scalp with a damp cloth, and maybe even have a shower to rinse your whole body and hair.
Ps – and if you do need to sneeze, and want to do it in a way that’s kind to your back, it’s best if you’re standing up. Then – as you sneeze – let your knees soften and bend, as if you’re in a lift that you know is going to stop with a big jolt. This takes the strain off your back and allows you to sneeze (or cough) with ease and comfort. Simples.