Private hayfever treatment

Hayfever is caused by an allergic reaction to wind-pollinated plants – so that means trees in spring and grass in the summer. It’s helpful therefore to understand that the pollen season happens during three main periods of time: 

• Tree pollen from late March to mid May
• Grass pollen from mid May to July
• Weed pollen from the end of June to September

Find out which type of pollen affects you and check the UK Met Office for their daily pollen forecast. On days when you might be affected, try not to go outdoors if your symptoms are severe, or wear wraparound sunglasses or a mask, to keep the pollen from your eyes and nose.

Modern antihistamines that you can buy at your local chemist work extremely well and are ideal if your hayfever is mild. Medications such as loratadine and cetirizine are widely available, inexpensive and safe to use – and unlike the previous generation of antihistamines, don’t make you sleepy or prevent you from working. 

If you have more severe symptoms, a nasal steroid spray, used once a day, is highly effective and has virtually no side effects. These are available over the counter, but for stronger formulations, we can prescribe the most suitable option for you. 

And for streaming, itchy eyes, antihistamine eye drops, such as olopatadine, are a good solution. Our private hayfever treatment includes tailored advice on the best medication for your particular needs and an evidence-based approach to prevention strategies. 

Try not to bring the pollen inside. If the pollen count is high and you have to go out, take a shower and wash your hair once you come back in. Some people also find that putting Vaseline on the inside of their nostrils helps keep the pollen from entering their system. 

According to Allergy UK, pollen counts are at their highest early in the morning and at the end of the day. So if you do go out, it’s best to do so in the middle of the day. Unfortunately increased carbon dioxide emissions from traffic have made hayfever symptoms worse in recent years, so avoiding highly congested roads is also a good idea.

A daily nasal rinse with saline solution (also known as nasal irrigation), carried out correctly, can also help clear allergens and mucus from your nasal passage, during periods of high pollen.