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How to have a sneeze-free summer
Grass, trees and certain types of flowers can all cause problems for hayfever sufferers during the summer months.
Most of us look forward to the summer months, but for hayfever sufferers it can be a truly miserable time. Hayfever is an allergy triggered by pollen, and counts sneezing, itchy eyes and blocked or runny noses amongst its symptoms. It is a common condition affecting between 10 and 30% of people in the Western world and 12 million people in the UK alone.
Antihistamines can alleviate symptoms but avoiding the cause of the allergy (in this case, pollen) is the most effective course of action.If you do suffer from hayfever there are certain plants and flowers you should avoid in order to keep your symptoms to a minimum.
Sunflowers
With its large centre that releases a lot of pollen, the sunflower is a key offender when it comes to triggering hayfever symptoms. However, you can still enjoy this flower as long as you go for the hypoallergenic species whose pollen is too large to easily spread through the air.
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Lilies
Similarly to sunflowers, lilies release a large amount of pollen, making them a no-go for hayfever sufferers. If you do want to buy lilies without experiencing sneezing and sniffles, go for flowers that have the pollen removed from the bulb.
Jasmine
Many people love jasmine for its strong scent, but it is that scent that causes problems for hayfever sufferers. The strong scent comes with a lot of pollen, making it another flower to avoid if you have hayfever,
Grass
Although some flower species do cause problems for hayfever sufferers, trees and grass are the main culprits. Grass pollen is actually one of the most common triggers for hayfever and even a well-kept lawn that does not go to seed can cause problems. What’s more, grass is great at trapping pollen from other plants and this is then released into the air when you mow the lawn, resulting in sneezing, sniffing, and streaming eyes. So, if you have a lawn in your garden you could find yourself suffering during the summer months.
However, just because you have hayfever it doesn’t mean you should have to miss out on having a green garden. If you buy some artificial grass, you can enjoy the look and feel of a lawn without having to contend with irritating hayfever symptoms. An artificial lawn also has the added benefit of being extremely low maintenance, leaving you more time to enjoy the good weather.
As well as artificial grass, there are also certain flower species that shouldn’t trigger hayfever symptoms. These tend to be flowers that have larger pollen grains or are pollinated by insects. Insect-pollinated flowers include a number of popular species including orchids, hydrangea, peonies and carnations. Roses are also a great choice as they only release a small amount of pollen into the air – and if that still causes you problems you can always go for one of the tight budded varieties.
Hayfever is an unpleasant condition but it doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a nice garden or on colourful displays of flowers. By choosing species of plants that are allergy-friendly you can minimise your symptoms, helping you to enjoy a sneeze-free summer.
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