Causes: A reaction to pollen released by plants is the main cause of hayfever. The body believes erronously that the pollen is harmful and releases antibodies to fight off these foreign invaders. Antibodies are proteins that attach themselves to foreign invaders allowing them to be cleared. In the of hayfever sufferers a special type of antibody, known as Immunoglobulin E (IgE), is released to attack the pollen triggering the release of further chemicals, including histamine. Histamine is a substance which attaches to the cells in your body and irritates them. It is the histamines that cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Symptoms: 

• An itchy throat 
• Runny or blocked nose,  
• Watery or/and itchy eyes  
• Violent Sneezing 
• Lethargy  
• Loss of concentration.

Prevention: There are a few things that can be done to reduce your exposure to pollen. These include:

• Keep an eye on the pollen count and avoid going out if possible on days the pollen count is high. The pollen count is usually highest in the early morning, late afternoon and early evening.
• Protect your eyes with wraparound sunglasses to prevent pollen from entering the eyes.
• Take a shower and change your clothes once you get back indoors if you have been outdoors.
• Buy a pollen filter for your car and keep the windows shut when driving.
• Dry your clothes indoors , especially on days when the pollen count is high.
• Wash and towel down your pets before they come back indoors if they’ve been outdoors.
• Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in your bedroom.

Treatment: Ideally, the best way to treat an allergy is to avoid it in the first place. In the case of hayfever though, it is not ideal to lock yourself up in a room to avoid the pollen! There are different medicines on the market that can help to cope with hayfever. These include:

• Antihistamines: These work by blocking the effect of histamines which are released during an allergic reaction including sneezing, itchy or runny noses. They are not so effective with blocked noses however. Although they can be obtained without a prescription over the counter, always consult your GP before starting any medication and be sure to follow the leaflet that accompanies the medicine. If using antihistamine tablets, it is advisable to go for a non-drowsy one that won’t affect normal everyday occurences such as driving.
• Nasal sprays and eye drops:  These are applied directly either to the eyes or nose. They work in different ways.
  Decongestants shrink the blood vessels in the nose thereby unblocking the nose. A rare side effect of decongestants is an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. They should be used only a few days at a time after consultation with your GP.
  Anti-inflammatory nasal sprays and drops as their name suggests reduce nasal inflammation and contain corticosteroids, which are based on cortisol but are altered to improve their effectiveness in treating hay fever symptoms. They are especially effective at dealing with the sneezing, itching, soreness and watery discharge associated with hay fever. For an even more effective relief, they can be combined with anti-histamine tablets.
  Sodium Cromoglycate: These work by preventing tissues becoming inflamed when an allergic reaction occurs and are also used in eye drops.
• Immunotherapy or Desensitisation:  Is a vaccine given over a course of years to get the body used to the pollen. The frequency of injections get further and further apart and the amount of trigger pollen you are given with each injection is increased so that your body slowly adjusts and gets used to it, realising that it is not a threat to you.
• Acupuncture: There have been claims that these relieve or prevent hayfever but they have never been scientifically proven. It is thought to work that by inserting needles into ‘pressure points’ the body’s immune system is stimulated helping it fight off an allergen.

Hayfever is a nuisance but you needn’t let it ruin your life. With the information above, we hope you can still get the best out of summer and if all else fails…book a flight to some exotic destination free from those pesky plants that cause all these problems. Now where’s my passport…

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A diet shouldn’t be a fad which one goes on to reduce weight only to put it back on once the ‘diet’ is over. Rather it should be taken as part of lifestyle changes to lose the weight and keep it off permanently. There are many types of diets including the Atkins diet, the Zone diet, the South Beach diet and many more. When considering a diet, it is important to ensure that the body gets all the nutrients and nourishment it needs from the said diet. Diets that exclude certain types of food can adversely affect the body as the body needs different types of food in order to fight disease and maintain a state of positive wellbeing. One has to beware of any program that purports to lose weight too quickly as these programs might be dangerous due to sudden changes in the body’s physiology. In general, things to consider to ensure a successful diet regime include: monitoring the amount of food intake, ensuring the right types of food is eaten, exercising and addressing the mental attitude that weight loss is a quick fix solution rather than a lifestyle change.

Monitoring the amount and type of food intake:
The average woman according to the UK Department of Health needs around 1940 calories a day. Any excess food is stored as fat.  One pound in body weight is equal to 3500 calories. In other words, to lose one pound in weight, you need (if you are an average woman) to consume 3500 calories less than you do at the moment over a period of time. Before you go out rushing to reduce the amount you eat however, remember that to lose weight, you need to make lifestyle adjustments. Do not go out starving yourself to lose this weight. If the body’s needs aren’t being met nutritionally, it tends to go into starvation mode and it hoards food the next time you eat. When you do eat, it is stored as fat which means you will get flabbier and unhealthier with all the fat piling into the wrong places. One of the side effects- love handles! You will also tend to crave sugary and fatty foods. The recommended rate of weight loss is one to two pounds a week. This means that if you can reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories a day, you are well on your way to reaching your goal.

Ensure the right type of food is eaten:
The body is a complex machine. Imagine you win the lottery and you decide to some of your money on buying that dream car you’ve always wanted. You wouldn’t fill its tank with diesel if it happened to be a petrol engine. It is the same with the body. Diets that advice that a certain food group is bad is are to be avoided. All food groups are to be included in a balanced diet. Try to avoid too much processed food as these contain high levels of salt and fat. When cooking chicken for example, try to avoid using the skin as this has high levels of fat. Reduce the amount of foods that have saturated fat in your diet such as hard cheese, butter, cakes and biscuits as they increase the amount of cholesterol in the body which can in turn lead to heart disease. Base your meals on starchy foods such as Cereals, Potatoes and Rice as they are a good source of energy and contain fibre, calcium and Vitamin B. It might sound clichéd but try as much as possible to get your five portions of fruit and vegetables. Eat more oily fish like fresh tuna, trout, salmon and mackerel as they contain omega 3 oils which keep the heart healthy.

Exercising:
The benefits of exercising has been stated probably from the dawn of time. The idea of pumping iron tends to put a few off but in reality, exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous. Choose a workout which you find to be fun and you are likely to stick to it. Learn a new dance like the Salsa or Waltz if you fancy. If you find that you are getting bored with it, it might be time to change it. Cardiovascular exercises which as the name suggests increases your heart rate include running, jogging, skipping and spinning and are the best exercises to lose weight. If you are unable to do these, a fast walk from the station home is better than nothing. The higher metabolism involved in performing these exercises causes the fat to drop off. Added benefits include longevity as studies have found a link between doing cardio exercises for 25 to 60 minutes a session and 3 to 5 sessions a week and longer life compared to those who don’t. The exercising also relives stress and boosts self confidence. As with all things though, be sensible and wear the right gear such as padded trainers to reduce injury to joints. Also be sure to consult a medical practitioner such as your GP before you embark on any type of exercise.

With these tips, you have more than a fighting chance of losing weight and more importantly keeping the weight off without succumbing to a lose weight quick fad. Whatever you do, enjoy your plan to keep the weight off…

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