GP shares best time to take antihistamines for hay fever | UK | News
Antihistamines should be taken “well before” exposure to pollen (Image: Getty)
A doctor has shared the best time to take antihistamines to help prevent hay fever symptoms when red pollen warnings come into effect. The Met Office’s pollen forecast shows red warnings for ‘very high’ levels of birch and ash pollen across the whole of England and Wales on Wednesday, April 8, while amber ‘high’ warnings are in place for parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Levels are predicted to remain ‘very high’ across much of the UK until Saturday, when pollen counts will drop as temperatures cool. The pollen warnings come as warm and sunny conditions are expected, particularly in central and south-east England, with temperatures forecast to rise to 26°C in some parts of the UK on Wednesday.
However, with pollen levels in the air very high in much of the country, hay fever sufferers can expect symptoms to trigger in the coming days. Unfortunately there is no cure for hay fever, but symptoms can be managed with over-the-counter treatments such as antihistamine drops, tablets or nasal sprays, and there is an ideal time of day to take these, according to your GP.
Read more: Households were called to open windows starting from Tuesday
Read more: Green algae will scrub and clean terraces in 5 minutes with 2 ingredients
G.P. Doctor Aarthi SinhaAntihistamines should be taken “well before” exposure to pollen and before your symptoms begin, says Church Crescent Medical and Aesthetic Practice in Whetstone; So ideally they should be taken either first thing in the morning before going out or last thing in the evening before going to bed, he says.
He told the Express: “Hay fever and nasal symptoms are something I encounter very often in practice, especially in the spring and summer months.
“The best time to take antihistamines is well before your body is fully exposed to pollen and symptoms begin. For most people, this usually means taking them first thing in the morning, or even the night before, regularly during peak season or on days when pollen counts are high.”
“If you take your antihistamine too late—after symptoms like sneezing, itching, and congestion have begun—you may feel as if it’s ‘not working.’ This is because the histamine has already been released in the body and the drug tries to catch the reaction rather than prevent it.”
According to Chemist4U, most antihistamine tablets work within 30 minutes and reach peak effectiveness within one to two hours, so you need to take them early enough to let the medication take effect before heading outside to enjoy the sunshine.
Some antihistamines can make you feel sleepy, so the NHS recommends switching to a non-drowsy option such as acrivastine, cetirizine, fexofenadine or loratadine; However, if symptoms are interfering with your sleep, you may want to try a different type.
An alternative to antihistamines is nasal irrigation; Some practitioners argue that this is a more effective treatment because the nose is the main place where allergens enter your body.
According to Dr Gustavo Ferrer, by clearing the nose you can boost immunity, prevent congestion and suppress allergies before they enter the upper respiratory tract.
He said: “Studies show that sinus cleansing effectively clears the sinuses of allergens, blocking their effects on the body and reducing symptoms. Additional studies show that saline rinses with xylitol, such as Xlear Nasal Spray, have an even greater effect on rinsing the nose.”
“Irrigation of the sinuses with xylitol solution strengthens the body’s natural defenses by drawing excess moisture from swollen tissues and thinning mucus.”
If you suffer from hay fever, you can obtain Allevia as follows: Pack of 30 for £8 on Amazon, or the same package can be obtained from: Boots for £12.49.
If you’re not sure what will help, always talk to a doctor or pharmacist first. Other options to help with symptoms include nasal sprays. Pirinase Hay Fever Relief £9.09 for adults, Xlear Nasal Spray Available on Amazon for £11.43 and like eye drops Optrex Hay Fever Relief It drops to £6.69.
