An Asset In The Fight Against Pollen! (Hay Max Lavender Balm)

Member Name: Machair1

Product:	Hay Max Lavender Balm
Date:	15/06/09 (137 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stops pollen travelling up the nose.

Disadvantages: Expensive and not 100% effective for most people.

Hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis, as it is called, is dreaded by sufferers, and looked on with empathy by others who escape the condition; there is no getting away from the fact that at this time of year it can be a nightmare.

My father suffered with it dreadfully, especially when he was working in London, and commuting home on the train. Lots of other passengers would slide down the windows, and in would come an army of pollen soldiers ready to invade his nose from the meadows and embankments which hugged the tracks, so that by the time he arrived home, miserable and moody, we would all know to keep our distance!

I too suffer, but things are better these days. We have non drowsy anti- histamines for one thing, which in my childhood we didn't, so it was either suffer or dose yourself up and be a zombie!

Now I am not saying the product I am reviewing will cure you, but it may help to have some handy as part of your artillery against pollen.

Hay Max is a natural drug free balm which you can buy from many health food stores, chemists and supermarkets, and it will cost you about £6.80. It is a dinky little pot which weighs nothing and easily slips into your handbag. You can chose from three types, plain, lavender and Aloe Vera. All three work in the same way, it just depends on your personal preference. I actually like the lavender because it is a relaxing fragrance, and you certainly need to calm down when you are having an attack!

Anyone can use this, even pregnant ladies and children, and to use all you do is to smear it at the base of your nostrils on both sides. Don't worry it is invisible being like a wax, and so, discreetly, you can stop the pollen from getting into your nose and triggering all those reactions which make the symptoms so dreadful.

The product is organic too and is endorsed by The Soil Association, and is suitable for use by vegetarians.

www.haymax.biz

It is made from organic beeswax and seed oil, and the beeswax is gathered from wild bees that live in the remote forests in Zambia. Here beekeepers position their hives made from bark, and after about two years they return cropping the beeswax leaving the honey for the bees. This is a fair trade product and they are paid fairly for it. If you are interested in finding out more have a look at the supplier's website.

www.tropicalforest.com.


Now what I do is have several of these all over the house, and in the car and in my bag, because just like reading glasses I can never find them when I need them. I like to have the Aloe Vera one by the bed, because it is very soothing last thing at night if my nose is sore from the effects of the hay fever. If you are not keen on any fragrance choose the natural one which you will hardly know is there.

There is growing evidence that this is a useful tool to have. There have been some studies done including one in the summer of 2004, when pollen counts were very high. Out of a score of 5 most respondents put this at the 3.9 to 4 range, meaning that whilst it didn't stop all the symptoms it certainly worked well, and symptoms were less than in those not using it at all.

I have had a similar result. It helps but you must do some other things if you don't want to be really incapacitated. I think also it is really so dependant on the day. Some days I can be moderately affected, and can put it all to the back of my mind, and others it can be overwhelming. At the moment I am using Hay Max and Piriteze Max (an anti-histamine tablet) with good results. I think the best aspect is the reduction in sneezing, whereas it doesn't seem to affect the eye soreness at all.

I have used this for 2 seasons now and I feel it is an enhancement to an established drug regime, as certainly for me using it alone would not be adequate, but a mild sufferer may find relief with this exclusively.

So with my nurse's hat on here are my top 10 suggestions for combating hay fever.

1. Keep all windows closed. I know these sounds dreadful but no fresh air- no pollen, so use a fan to keep cool on days with a high pollen count. Open the windows when the count is low or when it is raining as this will be lower in pollen. Pollen is often higher in the morning and in the late afternoon.

2. When you go outside and return home remember your clothes will be full of pollen, so take them off outside your bedroom, and thoroughly shower and wash the clothes. If you go to bed without washing your hair, the pollen in your hair will fall onto the pillow and irritate you in the night! Watch your partner here. My husband is a demon with the petrol strimmer in our house in Scotland. This machine of torture covers a wide area with pollen, including himself, so when he comes in from this activity he has to be hosed down if I am to remain sneeze free!

3. Start taking your antihistamine at least a month before the season starts; this is important as to be the most effective levels should be high in the blood when the trouble begins.

4. If you can buy some local honey and eat some every day as research shows this will help. I can't do this as I really hate honey, but if you can so much the batter.

5. Always wear sunglasses, especially choose the tight close fit type as these stop pollen getting in your eyes.

6. Use Haymax, or if you feel this is too dear, petroleum jelly like Vaseline can also be effective when applied to the base of the nose.

7. Buy some really nice soft tissues. Waitrose do some lovely camomile ones and their soft balm tissues are a godsend for sore noses.

8. In the hay fever season reduce your dairy consumption as this will reduce mucus in the nose.

9. If counts are high I never hang out my washing as it will come in full of pollen.

10. If all this fails see your GP as you may need to consider some other treatments.


I think Hay Max is a dinky little pot of treatment for this dreadful state of affairs, it isn't cheap and Vaseline works just as well, but this is aesthetically nicer and more conveniently packaged. It is only a small part of the war on Pollen, but it helps.

I think it also helps to determine which types of pollen you are most allergic to by seeking medical advice, as you can then prepare for it as not every sufferer is sesitive to grass pollen, it can also be weeds, trees etc and the exact timing of these at their peak can be different. Tree pollen is more a problem in the spring.

It is also important to watch out for signs of sinus infections as hay fever can make these more likely. If you have a very stuffy nose, a fever, or any flu like feelings with the symptoms which don't clear up in a few days then you may need antibiotics.

Summary: Certainly Worth A Try In Conjuction With Other Measures.