The season of hay fever, stuffy noses and watery eye has well and truly arrived.
With pollen counts expected to remain high this weekend millions of Brits will be battling unpleasant sneezing, nose blowing and bunged up sinuses.
But for those who are fed up of constantly reaching for tissues there are a few ‘hacks’ which could clear your stuffy nose ‘instantly’.
Social media user James Moore, a massage therapist from Kentucky, shared his tips on Instagram and TikTok in posts viewed many millions of times.
In a video he suggests people suffering with a stuffy nose start by blocking one nostril and putting ‘firm pressure’ under the cheekbone on the opposite side of the face. He advises people to hold this position for 10 seconds to feel the effects
Another method he suggests involves pulling your nose over to one side an then putting pressure under the cheekbone. Again he says to do this for 10 seconds
In a video he suggests people suffering with a stuffy nose start by blocking one nostril and putting ‘firm pressure’ under the cheekbone on the opposite side of the face.
He advises people to hold this position for 10 seconds to feel the effects.
Another method he suggests involves pulling your nose over to one side an then putting pressure under the cheekbone. Again he says to do this for 10 seconds.
He explained the techniques works by ‘using massage pressure to allow more blood flow to the sinus area.’
What causes hay fever and what are the symptoms?
Hay fever affects millions of people. It is an allergic reaction to pollen, typically when it comes into contact with your mouth, nose, eyes and throat.
Hay fever symptoms are worse between March and September when the pollen count is at its highest.
The graphic explains how you get an allergic reaction, such as sneezing and coughing, from pollen
What are the symptoms?
- Unlike a cold which only lasts for one to two weeks, hay fever lasts for months
- Sneezing and coughing
- Itch, red or watery eyes
- Runny or blocked nose
- Itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears
- Loss of smell
- Feeling tired
- Headache
- Earache
Source: NHS
But he does warn that this should not be taken as medical advice.
The NHS suggests treating a blocked nose caused by an allergy with medicines from the pharmacy.
Taking over-the-counter medications, such as antihistamines, cleaning your nasal passages with salt water solution and avoiding triggers, such as pollen are all methods suggested by the NHS.
Antihistamines work by blocking the effects of histamine — a chemical released by the body when it detects something harmful, such as an infection.
It causes blood vessels to expand and the skin to swell, which helps protect the body.
But in those with hay fever, the body mistakes pollen as a threat and produces histamine — which causes itchy, watering eyes, a running or blocked nose, sneezing and skin rashes.
Antihistamines help stop this reaction if taken before coming into contact with pollen, or reduce the severity of symptoms if you take them afterwards.
Decongestants are another option for hay fever sufferers. They are available as nasal sprays, drops, tablets and liquids.
They work by reducing the swelling of the blood vessels in your nose, which helps to open the airways.
But hefty doses of antihistamines, nasal sprays and eye drops aren’t the only ways to relieve hay fever symptoms.
For one innovative treatment available on the NHS could spell the end of seasonal misery for some.
Immunotherapy treatment involves placing a single, fingertip-sized wafer under his tongue daily.
As the wafer dissolves, it releases tiny amounts of the offending allergen. This is then absorbed into the bloodstream.
The idea is that by exposing the body to tiny amounts of the trigger, it ‘desensitises’ it, avoiding the immune system over-reaction that sets off the cascade that leads to symptoms.
Currently only around 1,000 NHS patients a year can benefit from immunotherapy for their allergies.
The health service says if steroids and other hay fever treatments do not work, your GP may then refer you for immunotherapy.
Experts, however, have called for it to be made more widely available, backed by evidence from recent research.
One study by Southampton University found that infants given immunotherapy for dust mite allergy were 80 percent less likely to develop knock-on conditions at age six, such as asthma.