Six hay fever hacks to see you through the season

Telegraph

17-03-2025

It's that time again. You may still be sporting a scarf but, sadly, it's also time to start thinking about hay fever. Tree pollen has started to circulate even earlier this season and will be followed by grass and weed pollen in the coming months. Scientists have warned that it's going to be a 'high severity' season, thanks to the recent warm and dry weather.
For the around one in four Britons who face runny noses and water eyes in response to the allergen, it means it's time to reach for some tissues and a daily antihistamines. However, there's lots more that can be done to ease these debilitating symptoms.
'There are many ways you can help to relieve and manage hay fever symptoms including home remedies and simple lifestyle hacks,' says Claire Nevinson, a superintendent pharmacist at Boots. These are her top tips to stop hay fever in its tracks.
Rinse your nose with salt water
Cost: Free
Difficult ranking: 2/5
Hay fever occurs when the immune system mistakes pollen – a harmless powder released by grass, trees and weeds – as a threat and releases histamines and other chemicals to ward them off. This leads to symptoms that range from being mild but irritating to severe.
'Rinsing of nasal passages with salt water can help flush out pollen and other allergens trapped in your nose,' Nevinson explains. 'This can help to relieve congestion such as a runny nose and sneezing.'
You can either purchase a saline nasal spray at your local pharmacy or create a saline wash at home by adding one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to a pint of clean water and stir. 'The water should be from your cold tap, boiled and then cooled to room temperature,' Nevinson notes.
Then, stand over the sink and pour some of it into the cupped palm of your hand. 'Sniff the solution from your palm into one nostril and repeat for at least three times in each nostril. Blow your nose gently after using the wash to help rinse the nasal passage. Be sure to discard any leftover liquid and prepare a fresh solution each time you douche.'
2. Rub Vaseline on your nose
Cost: £1.80
Difficult ranking: 1/5
Hay fever symptoms start when pollen enters the nose and lands on the damp lining of the nasal passage, binding to a type of immune cells (mast cells), leading to explosive sneezing.
To stop pollen from getting into your airways in the first place and triggering a cascade of symptoms, apply some petroleum jelly around the nostrils, Nevinson recommends. As it is sticky, it can effectively catch allergens before they can trigger a reaction.
'Vaseline around your nose is a great way to trap the pollen,' Nevinson says. As an added bonus, it can also help to relieve dry and uncomfortable skin from repetitive nose blowing, she notes.
3. Dry laundry indoors
Cost: Free
Difficult ranking: 1/5
Avoiding pollen is the obvious way to ease hay fever symptoms but is hard to do in practice. One way to effectively reduce your exposure is to stop hanging your clothes outside to dry.
While warm weather is ideal for drying washing outside, it also tends to correlate with a high pollen count. 'If you are drying laundry outdoors, there's a chance that pollen could enter the house on clothing,' Nevinson says.
'Try to dry your laundry indoors instead to help relieve symptoms.'
4. Keep your windows shut
Cost: Free
Difficult ranking: 1/5
'Exposure to pollen is what causes hay fever symptoms, so one of the best things to do is to limit your exposure,' Nevinson notes.
'When indoors, you can do this by keeping windows and doors shut as much as possible,' she says. This is especially effective in the early morning, when pollen is released, and during the early evening, when pollen counts are typically at their highest.