Six surprising household items making your hay fever worse

The arrival of spring and summer means hay fever misery for thousands of Brits who suffer from allergies. It’s common knowledge that pollen is the main cause of hay fever symptoms.

However, some surprising household items could be making it worse. According to the Met Office, there are around over ten million people in England who suffer from hay fever.

This equates to almost one in four adults and one in ten children. Research shows that the number of sufferers is rising, year on year.

Symptoms include sneezing, coughing, runny or blocked nose, itchy, red and watery eyes. As well as an itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears. It’s even possible that you can experience loss of smell due to hay fever.

While it’s tempting to avoid all and any exposure to outside forces, there can be a number of hay fever-inducing hurdles to conquer inside your home, too. Usay Compare shared six surprising items that may be causing you difficulty.

Contact Lenses

Your contact lenses could be a source of your itchy eyes. Contact lenses can trap allergens like pollen and dust particles against the eye, exacerbating hay fever symptoms, like itchiness and redness.

By regularly cleaning and disinfecting your contact lenses, you can help reduce allergen accumulation and alleviate eye discomfort. By using daily disposable contact lenses, you can avoid any allergen build up and reduce the risk of eye irritation.

Alcohol

Going to the pub and having a pint with friends may be the done thing to do during the summer, but alcohol consumption can worsen hay fever symptoms. This happens when alcohol dilates blood vessels and increases nasal congestion.

By limiting your alcohol intake, especially during peak pollen seasons, you can help alleviate symptoms and improve overall respiratory health. But remember to stay hydrated.

However, this doesn’t mean you should avoid the pub, or outside get-togethers. Instead opt for non-alcoholic beverages, like water or herbal teas, to not only help reduce the risk of dehydration but also alleviate hay fever symptoms.

Clothes

Clothing are an unhelpful magnet for pollen, as it can stick to fabric fibres and trigger symptoms when brought indoors. Regularly washing clothes, especially after spending time outdoors, can help remove allergens and prevent their transfer to indoor surfaces.

You can even go one step further by changing clothes and showering after being outdoors, which can reduce the risk of bringing and keeping pollen indoors. Also, avoid rough or sticky fabrics like wool, as these collect a significantly higher amount of pollen when you’re outdoors.

Cigarettes

Cigarette smoke contains irritants and allergens that can exacerbate hay fever symptoms and worsen respiratory issues. Avoiding exposure to cigarette smoke, whether that’s if you’re smoking yourself or inhaling second hand smoke, is essential for managing hay fever and maintaining lung health.

Indoor Plants

Tending to your indoor plant collection may enhance your home’s aesthetics, and give you peace of mind, but they can harbour pollen, meaning you won’t be able to get away from it. Regularly dusting plant leaves can help minimise pollen accumulation indoors.

Curtains

Curtains, despite keeping the sun and pollen out, can also act as a repository for allergens like dust and pollen. Pollen can settle on fabric surfaces and trigger hay fever symptoms when disturbed. It’s best to wash curtains regularly and using allergen-proof covers can help minimise allergen accumulation.