5 ways to keep hay fever at bay

Five simple steps can help keep hay fever at bay this season

1. Spritz a saline rinse into your nose daily to wash away pollen, says Dr James Wedner of the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis.
2. Change your car’s internal air filter annually, says Wedner. Older filters can blast pollen into your face.
3. Consider a mask when pollen gets bad, says Dr Nathaniel Horne, of New York Medical College. An allergy mask with a P2 rating seals firmly around your face; it’s a great help if you’re gardening or walking through a pollen cloud. Wearing your glasses or sunglasses is a good idea, too.
4. Get to know the times of day that are worse for your hay fever during the pollen season. In some areas, the evening can be the time of day with the greatest amount of pollen in the air. In other areas, the morning may be bad.
5. Don’t wait. Start these steps a week or so before you expect your allergies to arrive, says Horne. Allergy season tends to start earlier these days.