Hay Fever: The Basics
What Is Hay Fever?
Simply put, hay fever is an allergy to pollen. Pollen is
the fine powder produced by flowers, plants and trees. It is carried from high
pollen areas to the faces of hay fever sufferers by the wind, birds and bees.
Grass and hay pollens are particularly aggravating to hay fever sufferers but
grass pollen is the most common - and often the most severe - allergen. Spring
and summer (May through July) are grass pollination season and incidentally,
hay fever is at its worst during these seasons. Your immune system reacts to
the pollen and causes several (in some cases debilitating) symptoms. Hay fever
is the pollen affecting the cells in the lining of your nose and eyes, causing
them to release chemicals that inflame the eyes and nose
What Are The Symptoms?
·
Common symptoms are:
·
A runny, itchy nose
·
A blocked nose
·
Sneezing
·
Itchy, watery and red eyes
·
An itchy throat
Less common symptoms are:
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Loss of smell
·
Facial pain
·
Sweats
·
Headaches
How Do People Alleviate Hay Fever Symptoms?
Pollen is impossible to avoid completely but trying to
limit your exposure can help. Here are some ways to go about limiting your
exposure to pollen:
·
Check television,
newspaper, radio and internet weather forecasts for the pollen count (the
number of pollen grains per cubic metre of air) Note: a high count is 50 or
more
·
Stay indoors as much as
possible, keeping doors and windows closed
·
Avoid grassy places,
camping and mowing/mowed lawns
·
After being outdoors
(especially in the countryside) shower and wash your hair
·
Keep your car windows
closed and think about investing in a pollen filter for your air vents
·
Use sprays, medication,
drops and antihistamines; they can be over the counter or prescribed
Artificial Grass: The New Solution
Artificial grass is actually a great solution to hay
fever because it does not contain the same irritant materials as natural grass
does. Natural grass houses all sorts of irritant particles like pollen, dust and
mold. When disturbed (by mowing etc.) these particles become airborne and
affect hay fever sufferers, making your own back garden you worst enemy in
summer months. Whilst synthetic grass won't cause your hay fever to disappear
altogether, it will reduce the highly irritant grass pollen count in your
immediate home vicinity so you can at least sit out and enjoy your own garden.
If you are interested in artificial grass as a way to
combat hay fever then please contact RC Artificial Grass today - we are happy to help!
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