Sneezing and coughing? Runny or blocked nose? Itchy, red or watery eyes? Itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears? Tired? You may be suffering with hay fever – ’tis the season to be sneezy, after all.
If you’re a sufferer, it’s difficult to completely eradicate the reaction, but the best hay fever relief you can buy online will help ease the symptoms.
Hay fever is a common allergic reaction to pollen from grass, trees and weeds during the early spring and summer months. It’s triggered by your body’s reaction to airborne allergens, such as pollen. The reaction involves the release of numerous inflammatory substances, such as histamine, chemokines, leukotrienes, cytokines, tryptases and prostaglandins, which can cause the well-known hay fever symptoms like nasal congestion and sneezing.
Boots Pharmacist Angela Chalmers says: “If you suffer from hay fever regularly, it is important to start an anti-hay fever regime early on in the season.
“There are a number of treatments which people can try to control their hay fever symptoms, ranging from antihistamine tablets, which calm your body’s allergic reaction to pollen, to steroid nasal sprays, sodium cromoglycate eye drops and anti-allergy devices.
“Remedies such as eye drops are applied directly to the eyes and target the affected area. If you are suffering from just one symptom, such as watery eyes, you may find that this is enough. Ask your pharmacist about which treatment would be best for you.”
Her top tips on the best way to help avoid hay fever? Minimise your contact with pollen. Try to: Keep doors and windows closed during hay fever season; take off the clothes that you have been wearing outside before entering the bedroom – changing inside the bedroom may transfer the outside allergens attached to your clothes into the area where you sleep; and take a shower or bath and wash your hair before going to bed – pollen sticks to your hair and will transfer to your pillow.”
We’ve rounded up the best hay fever relief below so summer’s a total breeze (without the sneeze)…
1. Beconase Hayfever Relief Nasal Spray
Nasal sprays use tiny amounts of steroids to reduce the swelling in your nose so you can breathe more easily. They also help reduce sneezing, itching, a runny nose and itchy eyes.
This nasal spray works directly where the problem starts and its anti-inflammatory action helps reduce your discomfort quickly.
Price: £4, Amazon – buy here now
2. Stérimar Nasal Spray Stop and Protect Allergy Response
Perhaps you’re pregnant and want to use an all-natural decongestant? Enter the Sterimar Nasal Spray, a sea water-based spray that rapidly neutralises and protects against the particles (allergens, dust, pollution, pollen) responsible for allergic reactions.
Based on ingredients of natural origin, it has a rapid and effective action on the symptoms of hay fever (runny nose, sneezing, blocked nose, itchy nose, tingling, watery eyes) and helps prevent their appearance – without using steroids.
Price: £8.54, Amazon – buy here now
3. Piriteze Antihistamine Allergy Relief Tablets
If you’re not a fan of sprays, tablets are an easy alternative to relieving your hay fever symptoms.
An active ingredient and antihistamine called cetirizine hydrochloride, helps to relieve the symptoms of hay fever, like itchy eyes, sneezing and a runny nose, but can also help reduce itchy skin rashes that sometimes also occur.
Price: £5.95, Amazon – buy here now
4. Optrex Hayfever Relief Eye Drops
Sometimes, hay fever sufferers don’t experience all the symptoms, rather they can suffer with it particularly badly in one area – and this is often the eyes.
If you’ve got red, watery, itchy and sore eyes, you may want to target the problem directly with eye drops. These are an Amazon bestseller and have been hailed for offering “instant relief” from hay fever symptoms.
Price: £5, Amazon – buy here now
5. Opticrom Hayfever Eye Drops
Another super-effective eye drop is this option from Opticrom, which will kick watering, redness, soreness and itching to the curb.
It’s also suitable for children over aged six, in case your little ones are suffering, too.
Price: £5.29, Boots – buy here now
6. HayMax Pure Organic Natural Barrier Balm
Trap the allergen before it gets in with an all-natural and organic barrier balm. Some hay fever treatments can leave you feeling a little drowsy, but as this has no active ingredients that’s not an issue. Just pop it around your nostrils (not in), to get it working straight away.
Your body reacts when the amount of allergen in it goes over its sensitivity point. Then it triggers all the nasty reactions – runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes, itchy roof of the mouth and all the other horrible symptoms. As long as HayMax traps enough allergens to keep you below that point, the symptoms won’t be triggered.
Even if it doesn’t get you below your trigger point, it will reduce the allergen load on your body so other remedies you take can work better. You can absolutely use an antihistamine tablet and steroid nasal spray in conjunction with the barrier balm to wage a full-on war on hay fever.
Price: £6.99, Superdrug – buy here now
7. The Eye Doctor Allergy Hay Fever Compress
Put your feet up, lie back and enjoy a cooling eye compress to soothe those, red, itchy peepers. Hit hayfever where it hurts with this thermal dynamic fabric, which uses regulated evaporation to cool more rapidly.
It helps to reduce puffiness, swelling, itching, inflammation and even headaches, and comes with an adjustable comfy strap.
Price: £8.99, Superdrug – buy here now
8. Cetirizine Allergy & Hayfever Tablets
You don’t need to spend a fortune on big-name brands to get hay fever treatment that actually works. This pack of 30 tablets is great value for money, and works to reduce all the symptoms of hay fever, like redness, swelling and itchiness.
Perfect if you’re on a budget but don’t want to compromise on results. One customer said: “Excellent value for money; 30 tablets in a pack. Does a good job at keeping hay fever at bay.”
Price: £2.49, Superdrug – buy here now
9. Pirinase Hayfever Relief Nasal Spray
Blocked nose affecting your mood? Clear your airways – and your frustration – with this hay fever relief nasal spray. It contains an active ingredient called fluticasone propionate, a corticosteroid which, when used every day, has an anti-inflammatory action and works in a similar way to natural body chemicals to control inflammation.
One hay fever-free happy customer said: “I suffer with really bad hay fever during the peak pollen season in June and July. Block nose, running nose, bad head, excessive sneezing, itchy eyes, the lot! I’ve found this to be the best nasal spray on the market at reducing my symptoms and making my days more bearable.”
Price: £5.98, Amazon – buy here now
10. Benadryl Allergy One a Day 10 mg Tablets
Don’t like popping lots of pills? Just one a day is all you need with this packet of hay fever relief tablets. The 10mg of cetirizine dihydrochloride targets all the usual suspects, including itchy and watery eyes, runny or blocked nose, and sneezing. One Amazon reviewer said simply: “Works a treat could not be without them now.”
Price: £6, Amazon – buy here now
11. Allacan Cetirizine Hayfever Allergy Tablets
This set of three hay fever relief tablets is the most keenly-priced item in the roundup – yet is still super-effective and an Amazon bestseller. It helps to relieve the pesky hay fever symptoms like watery eyes and runny nose, as well as tackling hives and rashes.
Customers have given the tablets rave reviews and one said: “This has been an absolute god send for my husband who has suffered with severe hay fever all his life. He had tried almost everything possible and nothing had any effect at all. I bought this in conjunction with Pirinase nasal spray (also bought on Amazon). Happy to say that he doesn’t have any symptoms at all now and can actually enjoy the summer time.”
Price: £2.39, Amazon – buy here now
12. 90 10mg Loratadine One a Day Hay Fever and Allergy Relief Tablets GSL
Another great-value buy, these hayfever relief tablets contain loratadine, which helps prevent hay fever symptoms associated with high pollen counts.
Just one tablet a day will help stave off those inconvenient reactions, and may also help with hives.
Price: £2.60, Amazon – buy here now
13. NeilMed 30ml NasoGel Spray
Note to self: you do not have to put up with a congested, irritated nose every year. This natural saline spray contains xylitol, which helps to cleanse and soothe your sinuses and nasal passage.
It reduces congestion and also prevents the bacteria and other pollutants from sticking to the nasal passage, so you can breathe more easily and enjoy a more comfortable summer.
Price: £8.69, Amazon – buy here now
14. A.Vogel Eye Drops
Give parched peepers the equivalent of a long, refreshing drink with these eye drops that will eradicate dryness and soothe irritation.
The drops provide rapid hydration and refreshment to help maintain lubrication of your eyes when they’re feeling those pesky effects of hay fever.
Price: £9.99, Holland & Barrett
15. Weleda Hayfever Relief 20ml
If you don’t like taking tablets but want something to target all the general symptoms of hay fever, this vegan-friendly spray is ideal. The homeopathic product will help ease sneezing, blocked nose, and itchy, red and watering eyes.
One fan said: “For years I have had year-round allergies. I was tired of taking pills. I noticed after using this products my sneezing slowly went away and eyes were less watery. I will be buying again.”
Price: £9.99, Holland & Barrett – buy here now
16. Vaseline Original Pure Petroleum Jelly
This simple hay fever relief trick using this household product is suggested by the NHS. Simply pop Vaseline around your nose to trap pollen and prevent it from entering your airways.
Team with a pair of wraparound sunglasses and you’ve got yourself covered. It’s a good tip to pair with another treatment, like a tablet, to give yourself extra protection.
