Petroleum Jelly Can Prevent Hay Fever

A pharmacist says that petroleum jelly really can prevent hay fever.

Q: Can putting petroleum jelly around my nostrils prevent hay fever?

A: Hay fever occurs when pollen enters the nostrils, eyes or throat and attaches to mast cells, white blood cells that are part of the body's immune system and which release the chemical histamine, triggering symptoms such as sneezing, itchy eyes and runny nose. Read more

How to Beat the Dreaded Hay Fever Season

Craig McQueen tells how to beat the dreaded hay fever months, naturally.

IF your eyes are streaming, your nose is running and you're sneezing constantly, you'll know hay fever season has begun.

This week has seen high levels of tree pollen in most parts of the country, meaning months of misery ahead.

And as many of the 15million sufferers confirm, hay fever is more than just an irritation. The debilitating condition can make the summer months a real struggle for those who find themselves unable to spend time outdoors.

Hay fever occurs when the immune system mistakes pollen for toxins that need to be removed and produces histamines to combat them - chemicals which cause the sneezing, runny nose and itchy, streaming eyes.

Antihistamines are the most common treatment for the condition, blocking these chemicals and stopping the allergic reaction. But there are other methods which can be used to combat the problem. Read more

Ancient Herbal Remedy Beats Hayfever

Researchers have discovered that the ancient herbal remedy butterbur is as effective as antihistamine drugs, but has none of the side effects.

Butterbur has been used by generations of herbalists as a potent way of treating the itchy eyes and runny noses of hay fever sufferers. Doctors have frequently dismissed such remedies as “old wives tales”. Now scientists have discovered that butterbur is as effective as the widely used antihistamine drugs, but has none of the nasty side-effects.

“Up to 20 per cent of antihistamine users suffer from drowsiness as a side-effect,” says Dr Andreas Schapowal, the scientist who led the team of researchers in Davos, Switzerland. “There are no specific side-effects with butterbur. It’s a safe and effective treatment.”

Over the past few years Dr Schapowal’s team has conducted a series of medical experiments using the plant. His latest investigation, a comprehensive “double-blind” trial of the type widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, has conclusively proved the effectiveness of the herb. Read more

Easing Sneezing: Can Diet Help Season Allergies?

A reader asks The Times if diet can ease hay fever symptoms.

My annual hay fever misery has begun. I’m talking antihistamnines and using eye drops which the pharmacist advised. is there anything I can eat and drink that may just help to ease my symptons.

As you will know, hay fever is a seasonal allergic reaction to various pollens and can cause anything from a blocked and runny nose to itchy, watery eyes, copious amounts of sneezing, and if you are unlucky, all of these. Pollen has this effect in some people because the immune system thinks that pollen is the enemy (like a bacterial or viral infection) and stimulates it to release histamine and other compounds to fend it off. This triggers inflammation at the point where the pollen entered your body — the eyes, nose and throat. You have done the right thing in going to the pharmacist and if symptoms worsen, a trip to your GP may be necessary. Read more