Hay fever
Hay fever in Spain
Different pollens are present at different times of the year, so when you are affected depends on what actual pollen triggers your particular allergy off!
In Spain the symptoms can start as early as March and include sneezing, coughing, streamy, itchy eyes, runny nose and wheezing.
Some people in extreme cases can suffer from life threatening whole body allergic reactions which is known as anaphylaxis.
Treatment
Remedies vary and can be bought over the counter at the pharmacy. Other treatments need to be prescribed, as in the UK, although you will find that there are more available over the counter here in Spain. Some treatments can make you drowsy though and you should check with the doctor to see which one will suit you in particular.
There are natural remedies but you will need local information on where to obtain these.
How to help yourself
- A smear of Vaseline on the inside of each nostril can ease soreness and can also capture pollen entering the nose.
- Try wrap around sunglasses to eliminate the amount of pollen from entering the eye area.
- Don’t drive or sleep with the window open and never at the same time!!!!(Sorry couldn’t resist that one)
- Wash hair regularly (pollen sticks to hair) and will therefore get onto your bedding
- hang washing out mid-morning to lessen the amount of pollen brought into the house.
Food can also affect different people who have hay fever allergies- for example
if you react to birch you may also react to celery, curry spices, raw tomato raw carrot, apples and pears and
if you react to grasses you can also react to oats, rye, kiwi and raw tomato and
if you react to weeds try to avoid raw carrots and curry spices.