Forget the springtime symphony of chirping birds, buzzing bees, and not to mention, the scorching heat. If you suffer from hay fever, your season may sound more like a cacophony of sniffles, snorts and sneezes.
Hay fever is neither sensitivity to hay nor a fever; it’s a hypersensitivity to pollen, and since it’s a seasonal allergy, it’s as regular as clockwork. Trees, grass, and weeds are the usual culprits – these plants first pollinate in early spring, and the process continues through till autumn. The allergy cycle starts as soon as microscopic bits of pollen go airborne and one freewheeling piece finds its way into your nose. People without allergies don’t notice any changes in the amount of pollen in the air. But for those whose immune systems are affected, the annual pollen invasion means war. Within 10 minutes of inhaling the invader, your immune system releases a torrent of chemicals, including histamines and cytokines, to wash it away – but since this is a hyper-reaction, it also makes your eyes water and nose run. The cycle continues until the pollen stops flying, which is unfortunate because these plants can pollinate for weeks at a time. Seasonal allergies are notoriously difficult to manage. Keep your nose clean
“Whatever you do, wash your nose,” syas Terence Davidson, M.D., Director of the Nasal Dysfunction Clinic at the University of California, San Diego. As the filter of the lungs, your nostrils’ job is to trap allergens in mucus. “When you wash your nose, you’re washing away some of the allergens before they can inflict damage,” explains Davidson.
Not long ago, Davidson put his theory to the test. He and his colleagues ran a clinical study and literature review of nasal irrigation that was published in the journal Larynogoscope. They found that people with sinus problems who irrigated their noses twice daily for three to six weeks saw significant improvement in 23 to 30 different symptoms, including those associated with allergies.

Drugstore Fix
Drugstores have ample supply antihistamines, and nasal sprays, especially at this time of year.
Medicated over-the-counter nasal sprays are good at quickly decreasing congestion by squeezing blood vessels in the lining of the nose. But experts advise against using any nasal spray for more than three consecutive days. Over time, the nose becomes less responsive, which can lead to addictive overuse of the product in an attempt to clear nasal passages.
Check out botanicals
If you’re still bothered by seasonal allergies after rinsing out your nose, herbs are another excellent line of defense. “Plant compounds have distinct advantages over synthetic hay fever medications,” says Mark Blumenthal, Executive Director of the American Botanical Council. Plants contain scores of synergistic compounds that defuse side-effects, he explains. Most allergy drugs, on the other hand, deliver a single, purified chemical that collides head on with the body, making irksome side effects such as drowsiness and fuzzy thinking inevitable. For example, Quercetin is a flavonoid found in onions and grapefruit. Quercetin puts the brakes on allergy symptoms by inhibiting the body’s release of histamines — and it’s a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, meaning it can tame cellular damage caused by allergic reactions. The internet is a great place to begin your search for botanicals that are easily available, but remember to consult your doctor before you begin taking anything new.
Explore ayurveda
Ayurvedic practitioners consider allergies a sign of doshic, or constitutional, imbalance. For clues about what dosha is too dominant, consider the symptoms. If you have breathing problems, such as wheezing, it meant vata’s in charge; itchy eyes and a scratchy throat equal too much pitta; and congestion indicates a kapha overload. While it’s best to see an ayurvedic specialist for treatment customized for your dosha, some ayuverdic remedies are thought to work across all three doshas.
Get needled
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), allergies signify the body’s inability to rid itself of toxins. As a result, a TCM specialist may use acupuncture to boost energy levels in certain organs such as the lungs, which breathe in allergens, and the large intestine, which flushes them out, says Lincoln. Visit your local acupuncture clinic, many have sprung up in urban centres across Pakistan recently.