Not hay fever again! (Hayfever)

Member Name: Beanie8844

Product:	Hayfever
Date:	23/09/08 (50 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: there aren't any!

Disadvantages: many many unpleasnt symptoms

In my opinion summer is the best season of the year, but for many it brings on hay fever, an extremely irritating allergy condition. I never used to suffer from this, but now get it mildly every year; I do feel lucky though that I don't suffer the full effects as some of my friends do.

What is hay fever?
Hay fever is an incredibly common condition, affecting approximately one in five people in the UK, in varying degrees. Chiefly, it arises from an allergy to pollens, or other airborne substances similar in nature. As I have already mentioned most people get it during the spring and summer months, but the timing of it coincides with which pollens you're allergic to. There are three basic times you can be effected, March to May (pollens from trees), May to July (pollens from grass and flowers) or during the autumn, but this is rarer (pollens from weeds and later flowering plants). The allergic reaction occurs when cells in the lining of the nose, mouth and eyes sense the pollen and release 'histamine' which triggers the immune response and the symptoms we all suffer from.

Asthma and Eczema are closely linked with hay fever and they often appear together. Apparently, you are more likely to contract hay fever if there is a history of allergies in your family. Unlike with me, hay fever typically starts to show itself during the early teen years and peaks when you are in you mid twenties; I've only recently started suffering from it and I'll be 24 soon. However, when we age we become less sensitive to airborne pollen and therefore hay fever as a condition should become less of a problem.

What are the symptoms of hay fever?
The main symptoms are a very runny nose, repeated sneezing attacks (I get these quite badly) and watery eyes, which can be very irritating. The symptoms vary in severity depending upon the surrounding weather conditions and the pollen count (e.g. freshly cut grass is a real no no). The symptoms are usually more pronounced the higher the pollen count (the volume of pollen the plants release into the air). Generally, the pollen count is highest in the early evening.

What can be done to stop you being affected?
Antihistamine tablets will lessen the symptoms of hay fever and can be purchased from any high street pharmacy. They work by blocking the production and release of histamine which causes the symptoms in the first place. It is important however; that you take the tablets in the correct dosage and at the correct times otherwise they may be ineffective.

I hope you enjoyed the review and it contained some helpful information.

Thanks for reading.

Summary: not a nice thing to have, get the tablets quick!