With the hay fever season under way, a recent study has discovered that Brits are sneezing, coughing and spluttering their way through millions of pills to help ease the symptoms.
According to a study of 12m people by Sainsbury’s, hay fever tablet sales have soared by 45% since the beginning of the year, meaning more people that ever are suffering from the dreaded pollen-related symptoms.
And it looks like women are suffering the most - as 72% of hay fever pill takers are women.
What are the symptoms of hay fever?
Hay fever symptoms include itchy, watery eyes, a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, coughing and also wheezing. These are caused by the body’s allergic reaction to various pollens in the environment. These tiny particles are breathed into the nose where an immune reaction is triggered. Histamine is released and irritates the upper respiratory passages causing hay fever symptoms to take hold.
With Brits already being a nation of pill poppers, we’ve rounded a list of foods that help fight hay fever – and lots of other allergies – to stop people raiding the medicine cupboard to alleviate their symptoms.