Seasonal allergies: Four routes to relief from autumn allergies

Whether your autumn allergy symptoms are mild or miserable, here's help.

Ah, autumn. The perfect time to get outside for long walks and gardening.

But that "ah" can quickly become "ah-choo" if you're one of the thousands of people in the UK who has seasonal allergy problems. The runny nose, itchy eyes, and congestion are all typical autumn allergy symptoms and can slow you down and make you miserable.

While there have been no dramatic advances recently in allergy treatment, experts say if you are allergy-prone, you can take a number of steps to minimise the misery.

1. Know your allergy triggers

Triggers, or allergens, can vary by region, but experts say one of the main culprits for many autumn seasonal allergies are moulds. Outdoor moulds grow in heavy vegetation, hay and straw, and are found in raked leaves. Outdoor moulds increase after rain, too.

Predicting how bad an allergy season will be is an inexact science, but there are some general links with weather. Usually when there is more rain, there is more pollen.

Outdoor mould can increase, too, with more moisture. So if you live in an area affected by flooding or heavy rains in the spring or summer, you can probably expect a worse than usual allergy season.

2. Learn do-it-yourself protection

It may sound obvious, but avoiding the allergens is the main measure suggested by allergy experts to prevent an allergic reaction. There are many steps you can take to eliminate or minimise your exposure to allergens and improve seasonal allergy symptoms. Here are some suggestions:

• Wear a protective mask when gardening or doing work in the garden
• Modify the indoor environment to keep out allergens. For instance, use HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters in vacuum cleaners to better trap pollen spores. Change filters often.
• Check pollen counts before you travel and consider a holiday by the sea where pollen counts are typically lower. To find pollen counts check your local weather report; some provide pollen and mould spore counts
• Protect your eyes. On holiday and at home, wear sunglasses when outdoors to reduce the amount of pollen coming into the eyes
• Wash your hair at the end of the day to wash out pollens. That will help avoid pollen transfer to the pillowcase
• Avoid exercising outdoors when pollen counts are high. Grasses release their pollen in the morning and late afternoon
• Check the dog. Pets can bring in pollen.  You might consider rinsing off the dog if he was outside on a high-pollen day

3. Get proper treatment

Your GP or an allergy specialist can recommend a variety of medications, some over-the-counter and some needing a prescription, to improve your seasonal allergies. Many are approved for use in children.

Topical nasal sprays, available over-the-counter or on prescription, work well. They actually reduce the inflammation in the lining of the nose. They contain medications called corticosteroids that work by reducing inflammation and are minimally, if at all, absorbed. The sprays are usually used daily, before and during allergy season.