Roughly 16 million (1 in 4) people in the UK suffer hayfever. If you’re one of them, you’ll know that antihistamines and nasal sprays only go so far, and right now, with tree pollen season already underway and grass, nettle, dock and plantain pollen a matter of weeks away, you’ll soon be looking for anything that might help.
We asked NHS GP Dr Asimah Hanif, a medical expert who works with travel insurance provider Staysure, to share the less obvious things that actually work. Some of them are stranger than you’d expect.
Smear Vaseline around your nostrils
It sounds like the kind of thing your nan would suggest, but there’s a solid reason it works. A thin layer of petroleum jelly around the entrance to your nostrils physically traps pollen before it gets the chance to enter your airwaysand trigger a reaction.
“It’s a simple barrier method, but it can be surprisingly effective, especially if you’re heading outside on a high-pollen day,” says Dr Asimah. “The NHS recommends it for a reason. Just apply a small amount to the rim of each nostril before going out, and wipe and reapply when you come back in.”
It won’t replace your antihistamine, but it can meaningfully reduce how much pollen you’re inhaling throughout the day. Dedicated allergy barrier balms are also available from pharmacies if you’d rather avoid petroleum jelly.
Eat more onions. Seriously.
Red onions, capers, apples, and berries are among the richest dietary sources of quercetin, a naturally occurring plant flavonoid that has been shown in studies to inhibit the release of histamine from mast cells, the very mechanism that causes your hay fever symptoms.
“Quercetin works a bit like a natural antihistamine,” Dr Asimah explains. “It doesn’t act as quickly as medication, and the evidence is stronger in lab settings than in clinical trials, but there’s a real biological reason why people who eat a diet rich in these foods might find their symptoms more manageable. If you’re already reaching for onions and berries regularly, keep it up.”
Capers, oddly, have one of the highest quercetin concentrations of any food, far exceeding red onions. Worth knowing if you’re building a Niçoise salad this summer.
Avoid smoke where you can
Fire pits, barbecues, and smoking areas are all worth sidestepping if your symptoms are bad. Smoke irritates the nasal passages and respiratory system independently of pollen, and the two together are a miserable combination.
“Smoke makes it harder for your airways to cope with pollen,” says Dr Asimah. “It doesn’t cause hay fever, but it significantly lowers your threshold for symptoms. On high-pollen days especially, it’s worth giving bonfires and barbecues a wide berth.”
Check pollen forecasts before booking your summer holiday
This is where it gets interesting for anyone planning to travel this spring or summer. You might assume that leaving the UK means escaping hay fever, but different countries have very different pollen profiles, and some popular holiday destinations can be considerably worse than home.
Research using data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, ranked the best and worst European cities for hay fever sufferers. Zurich topped the list for early summer, while Milan and Copenhagen recorded the highest pollen counts across the most months of the year. Madrid is worth watching too, those with grass or olive tree pollen allergies should avoid the city between May and July, when both are at their peak. Reykjavik came out on top overall, with low pollen counts year-round, while Lisbon ranked highly for its low tree pollen levels.
Coastal regions and certain islands like the Canary Islands typically offer lower pollen counts and shorter hay fever seasons compared to inland areas.
“People are sometimes surprised to find their symptoms are worse on holiday than at home,” Dr Asimah says. “It’s not just about pollen levels, you’re also being exposed to plant species you’ve never encountered before, so your immune system hasn’t built any tolerance at all. Checking pollen forecasts for your destination before you travel is a really sensible step.”
One thing worth knowing: Like any condition you must declare it to your insurer to make sure you’re properly protected against medical costs abroad, but you generally won’t face a premium increase on your travel insurance for hayfever alone. Hay fever is typically treated differently from more complex pre-existing medical conditions. However, if you have asthma as well as hay fever this may trigger or worsen asthma which can be difficult to manage and something your insurer should know about.
“If hay fever is affecting your asthma, making symptoms more frequent or harder to control you’ll want to know that you have the back up of you travel insurance just in case” Dr Asimah advises. “Medical travel insurance exists precisely for situations like this, and not declaring the conditions you live with and manage on a daily basis can make an enormous difference if you need medical treatment for a flair up while you’re away or if something else goes wrong that could be related to one of the conditions. Medical costs abroad can soon add up even if you just visit medical centre and need a prescription so having the financial protection in your policy is reassuring.
Cut back on alcohol
Not what anyone wants to hear during barbecue season, but beer, wine and spirits all contain histamine, the same chemical your body produces during an allergic reaction. Drinking raises your baseline histamine load and makes you more sensitive to pollen.
“Alcohol can genuinely worsen hay fever symptoms,” says Dr Asimah. “It also dehydrates you, which compounds things further. If you do drink, stay well hydrated alongside it, and consider taking an antihistamine beforehand on high-pollen days.”
Get a pollen filter for your car
A cabin filter fitted to your car’s air vents traps pollen before it circulates inside the vehicle. It’s a small, inexpensive fix that most people haven’t thought about.
“A lot of hay fever sufferers don’t realise how much exposure they’re getting just from driving,” says Dr Asimah. “A pollen filter can make a real difference, particularly for commuters or anyone spending long periods in the car during peak season.”
