It’s that time of year again. The birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and your nose is running.
This year, experts have warned Melburnians of an intense hay fever season following a wet and warm winter, but sufferers nationwide should also be prepared.
You can’t control the pollen production happening outside, but here are some expert tips to hay fever-proof your home this spring.
What exactly causes hay fever?
Hay fever, clinically known as allergic rhinitis, happens when your nose and eyes come into contact with environmental allergens like pollen, dust, mould or animal dander.
These allergens can be inhaled or enter the eyes, triggering an allergic response, says National Asthma Council Australia spokesperson and allergist Sheryl van Nunen.
“Because the airways in the nose and down into the chest are united, these allergens can also set off asthma attacks in some people with hay fever,” van Nunen says.
About one in five Australians has allergic rhinitis – and up to four out of five people with asthma also have allergies, such as hay fever.
Janet Davis, head of the allergy research group and associate dean of research at QUT, says the hay fever reaction occurs when the immune system produces specific IgE antibodies in response to triggers.
These antibodies attach to inflammatory cells, which release chemicals such as histamine upon re-exposure, causing symptoms in the nose, eyes and throat.
“In hay fever, this allergic reaction mostly happens in the upper airways – the nose, eyes and throat. Pollen can, in certain conditions, make asthma worse for some people. So don’t ignore or trivialise hay fever. It can seriously affect your health,” Davis says.
For temperate climates, including Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, the main pollen season runs from mid-October to mid-December, when flowering and pollen release from cool climate grasses peak.
“It’s important to remember that even after the main pollen season, in places like NSW and regional areas of Australia, subtropical grasses can flower in summer, driving longer pollen seasons,” Davis says.
How can I hay fever-proof my home?
This year’s spring-cleaning might look a little different if your goal is to minimise hay fever allergens.
Reducing dust in the home is the way to go, van Nunen says.
“Particulate matter is a hazard to hay fever and asthma sufferers, and [removing dust] discourages vermin, such as cockroaches. Cockroaches can be an allergen for some people,” van Nunen says.
The best way to do this is with an efficient vacuum followed by wiping down hard floors with a damp mop.
The National Asthma Council Sensitive Choice program has several tips for cleaning linens:
- Change your sheets at least weekly.
- Wash your bedding in water hotter than 55 degrees.
- Put your doonas and pillows in the dryer for 10 minutes, if suitable for the fabric, to kill dust mites.
- Air doona and pillows outside in sunlight, except on high pollen count days.
An air purifier is the best way to reduce indoor pollen exposure. If this isn’t accessible, van Nunen suggests wiping surfaces with a damp cloth and closing your windows at night, as pollen sinks and can enter through windows as the temperature drops overnight.
“Cleaning chemicals are usually perfumed, and the fragrances can irritate those with hay fever and/or asthma,” van Nunen says. Try using bicarb and dish soap or diluted white vinegar instead.
How to manage symptoms
Besides lessening allergen triggers in the home, the best way to manage hay fever is to control the underlying inflammation, Davis says.
“That can usually be achieved with intranasal corticosteroids. Antihistamines will help with relieving symptoms. There are now combination nasal sprays that have both the controller and reliever,” Davis says.
Head to a pharmacist for medication advice or a GP for a diagnosis and targeted treatment.
Van Nunen argues we need to move past the cliché that “it’s only hay fever”.
“Around the world, across all age groups, hay fever is probably the most common cause of treatable needless misery … All too often, particularly in children, it is ignored or vastly under-treated.
“In the 21st century, treatments are effective and convenient at all levels of severity-so get breathing properly, Australia, and enjoy a more pleasant and productive life,” van Nunen says.
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Abby Seaman is a digital producer and lifestyle writer at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
