Hayfever

🌼What is it?

Hayfever is an allergy to inhaled particles from indoor or outdoor allergens, such as dust, pollen or pet dander. It can last for weeks or months and begins during the Spring time, usually from mid March. The weather tends to be warmer, humid and windy and the pollen count is at its highest.

The charity Allergy UK estimates that 18 million people have hayfever in the UK.

🌼What causes Hayfever?

Pollen. Pollen is a fine powder released by plants as part of their reproductive cycle. It causes irritations on contact with the cell linings in the nose, mouth, eyes and throat. If the body is allergic it releases immunoglobulin E (antibodies) to attack the pollen, which triggers histamine and causes the reaction.

🌼You can have an allergy to:

Tree Pollen - Spring time

Grass Pollen - Late spring, early Summer

Weed Pollen - late Autumn

🌼Symptoms

Major hayfever symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, watering eyes, blocked sinuses, all due to the histamine reaction in our body. Other symptoms include itchy throat, loss of smell, pain around the temples, headache, earache and feeling tired.

Did you know, Hayfever is often linked with IBS? If you suffer with an irritable bowel, you are likely to display more hayfever symptoms.

🌼How can Hayfever affect your treatments with us:

- If your eyes are feeling itchy, gritty or sensitive, we would not want to add a potential irritation to them, so we advise to avoid a lash lift or eyelash tint until this symptom eases.

- If your eyes are watery, we will not be able to perform a lash lift treatment

- If you feel congested around the sinuses, you may find laying face down for a back massage leaves you feeling a little stuffy-nosed immediately afterwards.

🌼What can help relieve Hayfever symptoms:

- Our ear candle treatments can help clear the head and relieve hayfever symptoms

- When applied as a weekly course of four ear candle treatments just before hayfever season, clients have noted less intense symptoms than previous years. They have reported a clearer head, breathing more freely and less itchy eyes.

- Reflexology can be tailored to specifically relieve symptoms of hayfever and help the body rebalance itself

- A steam treatment within a facial can help relieve congestion

- A pressure point eye massage as a standalone eye treatment or within a facial can assist with drainage and puffiness around the eye area

- We can perform treatments in a semi reclined position if you are too congested to comfortably lay flat

- We can ensure the mitts are cooler during a facial treatment

🌼Treatment

There are plenty of over the counter medicines to help relieve symptoms of Hayfever, including antihistamines loratadine, cetrizine or fexofenadine. Speak to your pharmacist to find the best option for you.

A daily saline solution for the nose (or a nasal spray) can help to thin mucus and enable ‘freer breathing’. Many believe a tablespoon of local honey each day can also help alleviate hayfever symptoms.

Keeping your window shut at night and first thing in the morning is also thought to reduce symptoms throughout the day.

🌼Aromatherapy for Hayfever Symptoms

For fragrance around your home or to request as part of your treatment with us. Please make any requests at the time of booking so we can prepare in advance for you.

- Rosemary - has mucolyptic properties (which is why it features in certain cough medicines)

- Lavender - is a natural antihistamine

- Lemon - anti-inflammatory

- Chamomile - contains high levels of azulene, a natural antihistamine. Cooled chamomile tea bags can also be used as a cold compress for itchy eyes

- Peppermint - stops itching, helps the body eliminate mucus for freer breathing

- Tea Tree - anti-allergy properties and helps to build immunity

🌼If you are looking to add an oil fragrance at home, there are a few things to be aware of:

- No pure essential oils besides Lavender and Tea Tree should ever be applied to the skin in the pure form. It must always be diluted by what we call a carrier oil.

- Do not attempt to mix all of these oils together. It could become overpowering and produce an undesirable fragrance plus undesirable effects, for example a nausea or headache from too much exposure.

- Apply a couple of drops into an oil burner or small dish and leave to fragrance the room, a little goes a long way.