TV doctor explains the ingredients to look for when choosing a hay fever remedy

As pollen counts remain at maximum levels across the UK, hay fever sufferers will be reaching for the pills, sprays and tissues to stop their sniffling.

But when choosing a remedy for their pollen allergies, there are two main ingredients people should look out for, according to TV doctor Zoe Williams. 

Cetirizine and loratadine are the two most effective ingredients in allergy remedies, Dr Williams said on ITV’s This Morning.

There are numerous different remedies available in pharmacies and supermarkets, but brand names may not matter if they contain the same ingredients.

It is a good idea to try out different methods, such as tablets or nasal sprays until people find a treatment that works for them, Dr Williams added.

Pollen, which causes hay fever by irritating the eyes, nose and mouths of people with the allergy, was at its highest levels since 2006 last week, the Met Office said.

And hay fever is thought to affect more than third of people – over 20 million Brits. 

People buying hay fever medications should look for ones which contain the ingredients 

Hay fever cannot be cured but there are effective ways to reduce symptoms, which include puffy, watery eyes, a runny nose, sneezing and tiredness.

For the rest of this week, the Met Office’s offical pollen count is ‘very high’ – the maximum rating – in the west, south-west, Wales, the north, western Scotland and Northern Ireland; ‘high’ in London, the east and south-east, and central and northern Scotland; and ‘medium’ in eastern Scotland. 

Dr Williams told Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield people should check the label of the tablets they buy to make sure it contains the right active ingredients.

Dr Zoe Williams appeared on ITV's This Morning to explain how to find a hay fever remedy that works for you

Dr Zoe Williams appeared on ITV’s This Morning to explain how to find a hay fever remedy that works for you

The most common form of hay fever remedy is antihistamine pills, which suppress the body’s immune response to their pollen allergy.

Look for meds containing cetirizine or loratadine

Active ingredients cetirizine or loratadine are top of Dr Williams’s list – they can be found in well-known brand name medications Clarityn and Piriteze.

SOME HAY FEVER MEDICINES CARRY DRIVING OR DROWSINESS WARNINGS

Some hay fever medicines carry warnings about causing drowsiness, something people should be aware of if they drive.

Motoring website Confused.com recently warned people could be prosecuted for drug driving if their medication makes them unfit to drive.

The following well-known brands carry warnings they could make people sleepy:

Piriton allergy tablets: ‘may cause drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision and psychomotor impairment in some patients which may seriously affect ability to drive and use machinery’

Benadryl Allergy One A Day 10mg Tablets: ‘Patients who experience somnolence [sleepiness] should refrain from driving, engaging in potentially hazardous activities or operating machinery’

Clarityn Allergy 10mg Tablets: ‘Very rarely some people experience drowsiness, which may affect their ability to drive or use machines.’

Piriteze Allergy Tablets: ‘Do not drive or operate machinery if the tablets make you feel drowsy.’ 

Source: electronic Medicines Compendium 

But she says budget brands – both Tesco and Sainsbury’s own-brand allergy pills contain the same chemicals – can be just as good.

‘Actually hey all do the same job, so I buy my antihistamines from the pound shop,’ Dr Williams said. ‘They’re just as good as the ones that might be five times as expensive.’

She says antihistamines are a ‘great place to start’, but also recommended using steroid nasal spray for a number of days to strengthen the body’s defences against pollen. 

‘You have to use them twice a day, every day and build up the effect. You only really start to get relief three or four days after you start using it,’ she added.

Up to a third of adults may have hay fever 

Record numbers of people are suffering from hay fever, with allergic rhinitis the most common form, affecting up to 30 per cent of adults and 40 per cent of children.

Grass is the most common cause of hay fever in the UK and there are more than 150 species in the UK.

But 57 per cent of sufferers do not know what type of pollen affects them, meaning they are not armed with the know-how to help combat their allergy.

Try various therapies until you find one that works 

Dr Williams suggests people should try various remedies depending on their symptoms and even combine them until they find something that works.

Eye drops with the ingredient sodium cromoglicate – such as Optrex Hayfever Eye Drops – could help, or more natural remedies such as ginger, turmeric or locally-made honey.

Children can be protected with sunglasses and eye drops, and changing and washing when you get home could get rid of clingy pollen.

Dr Williams added: ‘Take your clothes off and put on your house clothes, put them straight in the washing machine. And wash your hair because your hair carries a lot of pollen.’



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