12/08/2022
Have you tried these Hayfever hacks?
A recent study found that a whopping one in five hay fever sufferers took time off work due to their symptoms being too unbearable. If you are sensitive to the demon pollen, you’ll know it’s no fun at all being stuck indoors feeling itchy, stuffy and sneezy. To help combat this, we’ve gathered together a few of our favourite top hacks for keeping symptoms at bay in the office.
Be prepared
Pollen counts for your local area are available from the Met Office website and also on various apps such as the one available from Benadryl. If you know tomorrow is going to be particularly bad, make sure you are dosed up before you go into work so you are preventing symptoms rather than trying to fight them once they’ve taken hold.
Avoid pollen hotspots
Seriously, there is nothing worse than watching your colleagues sit out in the park at lunchtime to eat their food, but unfortunately this is one of the prime hotspots for pollen. If you like to get a little exercise at lunchtime try switching to swimming. Not only are you unlikely to come across the pesky pollen in the pool, the pre and post shower will wash away any invisible specks that may be sticking to your skin.
Allergy proofing the office
Keep doors and windows closed during the Summer months and invest in an air purifier, which will get rid of any rogue particles that have made their way in. If you do nip out at lunchtime, a quick wash of your hands and face when you get back in will help to remove any sticky pollen.
And finally, eat right
Although eating the right foods won’t get rid of your symptoms all together, it can help minimise their severity. Try to avoid pro-inflammatory foods such as sugar and refined carbs and instead stock up on anti-inflammatory items such as apples, Vitamin C rich foods including broccoli, kiwis, strawberries and citrus fruits and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and live yogurt.
