The pollen count today (Saturday 4 May) has been forecast as moderate by the Met Office, which means symptoms may not be as bad for hay fever sufferers. But with summer weather and higher pollen counts on the way, and particularly for those with hay fever who suffer from strong bouts of sneezing, coughing and itchy eyes, it’s important to know the most effective treatment for you. Superdrug Online Doctor offers its best advice for dealing with high pollen counts. It says: “Different people are affected by pollen in different ways.
“Some people may only experience symptoms during times of high or very high pollen count; others may experience symptoms even during times of low or moderate pollen count.”
If you have hay fever and the pollen count is high or very high, it adds you may want to consider using medicines aimed at preventing the symptoms, like intranasal corticosteroids.
These include:
- Beclometasone
- Fluticasone
- Triamcinolone
- Budesonide
- Mometasone
These can be found in a range of products available at your local pharmacy.
If the pollen count is low or moderate you may be able to rely on the following medicines:
Oral antihistamines
- Cetirizine
- Loratadine
- Fexofenadine
- Desloratadine
Eye drops
- Artificial tears
- Sodium cromoglicate
- Azelastine
- Epinastine
- Ketotifen
- Nedocromil sodium
- Olopatadine
