One in five Irish adults claim to suffer from hay fever, while more than one in four say they do not know how to alleviate their symptoms.
Research commissioned by Scope Healthcare and conducted by Ignite found that more than 40 per cent of Irish people are suffering with allergies and 20 per cent of those are suffering with hay fever alone.
There is a lot of confusion as to how best to treat, manage or prevent symptoms. The majority of people, 84 per cent in fact, say that they do not know what products will help, while the remaining 14 per cent claim they have tried everything.
With so many people leaving their symptoms untreated, it is no surprise that allergies are limiting the day-to-day activities for sufferers. This includes more than one third saying that allergies affect their sleeping and moods, while almost one of five say they prevent them from socialising.
Because hay fever is associated with an oversensitive immune system, the best way to tackle hay fever is to balance the two sides of the immune system. This means supplying the body with beneficial bacteria and creating an environment for them to colonise and work for our benefit.
Many experts are now recommending probiotics to help re-balance gut flora and support a healthy immune system.
Eva Hamilton, registered nutritional therapist, said; “Hay fever symptoms can be reduced – or even prevented – if good gut health is maintained.”
Ms Hamilton added that sufferers can maintain a healthy gut by “taking a multi-strain live bacteria supplement like Bio-Kult, swapping pro-inflammatory foods like sugars, alcohol and trans-fats with anti-inflammatory essential fats and antioxidants, and introducing gentle herbal teas with anti-histamine properties such as nettle, liquorice or peppermint”.
Sarah Ussher of Scope Healthcare said: “Looking after your gut will not only help to prevent your hay fever symptoms but it will also improve your overall digestion and energy levels. Some 70 per cent of the immune system is located in the gut, so looking after it should be a priority for everyone.”
To help further, eye drops and nasal rinses with saline solution can help those allergen-affected areas become more manageable in the summer months.
Bio-Kult bacteria supplements range, if taken the month before pollen counts are at their highest, can really help those affected with hay fever and should be strongly considered for those whose allergies are a day-to-day issue.
To find out more about Scope Healthcare’s Bio-Kult products visit www.scopehealthcare.ie
