Does local honey cure hay fever?: Debunking myths as more pollen is spread
As the weather warms up and more pollen is being spread, the number of people suffering from hay fever in the Channel Islands increases.
Climate change is driving this increase, with more extreme weather conditions leading to the arrival of foreign species which could be more allergenic.
There is currently no cure for hay fever, but there are various ways that sufferers can treat their symptoms.
Whilst there are some well-known facts about how to treat hay fever, there are also some popular myths that experts say are untrue.
What is pollen?
Pollen is a very fine powder produced by the male parts of trees, flowers, grasses and weeds to fertilise other plants of the same species. Many people have an adverse immune response when they breathe in pollen.
The immune system normally defends the body against harmful invaders, such as viruses and bacteria, to ward off illnesses.
Some people's immune system mistakenly identifies harmless pollen as a threat to the body and tries to fight it by releasing a chemical. We call this an allergic reaction, which can lead to a number of irritating symptoms such as:
sneezing
stuffy nose
watery eyes
How can hay fever be treated?
Whilst hay fever can not be cured or prevented, it can be eased with various methods:
put petroleum jelly around your nostrils to trap pollen
wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen from getting into your eyes
shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to wash the pollen off
stay indoors whenever possible
keep windows and doors shut as much as possible
vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth
install a pollen filter into the air vents in your car and use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter
try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to do your normal activities
What are some common hay fever myths?
Honey reduces hay fever symptoms
Honey reduces hay fever symptoms
For many years, honey has been thought to treat the symptoms of hay fever.
However, there is no proof that the sweet substance helps sufferers.
A study conducted at the University of Connecticut gave a group of people either pasteurised honey, unpasteurised honey or a corn syrup artificially flavoured to taste like honey.
Neither those who tried the pasteurised honey nor the unpasteurised honey experienced more relief in their symptoms than those in the placebo group.
Hay fever is caused by hay
Hay fever is caused by hay
Despite the name, hay fever actually has no link to hay.
In the 1800s, people believed the condition was caused by freshly-cut hay so they named it hay fever.
The actual cause - pollen - was not discovered until 1859 by British scientist Charles Blackley.
Hay fever is a life-long condition
Hay fever is a life-long condition
Most people find that their hay fever improves as they get older.
For 20% of sufferers, hay fever symptoms disappear completely throughout their lifetime.
Whilst some people suffer worse as children, it can also develop in later life.
Hay fever improves after rainfall
Hay fever improves after rainfall
Some people believe that rain washes pollen away, relieving hay fever sufferers of their symptoms.
This is only partly true. Whilst light-to-moderate rain can help, heavy rain spreads the pollen out in the air.
Windy conditions also increase the amount of pollen in the air.
Hay fever is worse during the day
Hay fever is worse during the day
Staying inside does help ease hay fever symptoms, but some types of pollen are more prolific during the night.
Levels of mugwort pollen have been found to increase during the day, but levels of ragweed pollen are higher, while grass and alder pollen levels don't tend to change over a 24-hour period.
When is the pollen season?
The pollen season runs from as early as January to late October.
While there are many hundreds of species of plants that produce pollen in the UK, they are broken down into three general categories.
Tree Pollen - from late March to mid-May
Grass Pollen - from mid-May to July
Weed Pollen - from the end of June to September
What effect does the time of day and weather have on pollen count?
The pollen count changes hour by hour but there are two distinct times of the day when pollen is considered at its peak.
Most pollen is released in the morning. As the air warms, pollen is carried higher in the atmosphere as the warm air warm rises.
In the evening when the air is cooling, pollen sinks back closer to the surface, so you may notice if you are in your garden in the evening your hay fever may get worse.
Is climate change impacting pollen?
Climate change is leading to more frequent intense weather events due to man-made activity, as a result, native plants will have to adapt.
Pollen is forecast to become more extreme and there is the potential for foreign species to take hold which are more allergenic and this could become a problem in the future.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...