According to the BBC , high street chemists have run out of some hay-fever medicine, as a UK industry-wide shortage hits supplies, just as the hay fever season reaches its peak.
This news will be a blow for hay fever sufferers. However , there are some simple actions that can be taken to alleviate the suffering, as Chris Michael, MD of Meaco, the UK’s leading air purifier specialist, outlines.
Pollen forecasts
It’s worth making the effort to check the Met Office pollen forecast, which is available five days in advance. The site also offers in-depth pollen patterns helping you to plan for your day, week or month accordingly. This can be of particular benefit for those working from home, and planning pollen free areas. Pollen levels tend to be highest in the early morning and late afternoon/evening, so try to avoid being outside in areas with a lot of grass or trees at these times if possible.
Outdoor drying
Whilst it’s tempting to make the most of warm weather, try to avoid drying clothes outdoors when the pollen count is high as the pollen in the air will stick to clothes, and therefore will seep into your home. Dry the clothes indoors on a clothes horse and either use a dehumidifier to dry them faster and to control the moisture that is released by the clothes during the drying process before it can do any damage around the house or open a window and place a fan in the window blowing the damp air OUT of the room to get rid of the excess moisture and to stop pollen from coming in through the window.
Clean your house
Dust and dust mites increase the onset of hay fever and similar allergies, so reducing and regularly removing dust all around your house will ease the causes of allergies. Vacuum often using a vacuum with a HEPA filter to capture pollen particles, make sure that the filter is changed regularly to maintain its efficiency.
Clothes
When you come home change your clothes to prevent the spread of any pollen around the home and remove clothes before entering the bedroom. If possible, shower to remove any pollen from your hair as soon as you can after you come inside. Wash bedding on a high temperature to help remove any dust mites in case they are adding to your sneezing as well
Pollen free bedroom
The challenges of hay fever are easier to face if you get a good night’s sleep, so making a bedroom a pollen free area is important. Keep windows and doors closed at all times, remove clothes before entering the bedroom, and consider using an air purifier 24/7
Working from home
For those working from home, the home office is a critical room alongside the bedroom. Between these two rooms you will spend around 16 hours or more per day in them, so it is worth investing in feeling comfortable. The working day will go by faster and you will be more productive if you are not sneezing your way through your Zoom calls! An air purifier will ensure a pollen free workspace, and with a second air purifier positioned in a bedroom, a good night’s sleep can be achieved. Crack those two rooms and you will feel so much better.
Air purifiers
This is the time to be considering an air purifier, not just for hay fever but to protect you and your family from viruses, other allergies, from dust through to mould, and wanting to make your life in general more comfortable.
When choosing an air purifier, it is important to ensure it has a True HEPA filter, which will have been made to strict international regulations. There has been a lot of talk about the health benefits of using an air purifier to reduce air pollution and allergens from the air, but a HEPA filter will help reduce the spread of germs and viruses as well. The filter will trap most bacteria, pathogens, microbial spores, pollens, and some virus particles. Capturing harmful particles and circulating clean air throughout a room will help in keeping everyone healthy so their immune system is a tiny bit stronger to fight off any viruses.
Meaco has developed a next generation air purification range that includes the MeacoClean CA-HEPA 76×5. This is more advanced than many standard air purifiers, using True H11 HEPA filters, with the option to purchase H13 filters, to provide a high standard of air cleaning
The MeacoClean CA-HEPA 76×5 has just been shortlisted by t3 for an award under Home Living, and is suitable for rooms up to 76m³ performing five air changes per hour. Its H11 HEPA filter removes more than 95% of the damaging particles from the air. The MeacoClean CA-HEPA 76×5 is the first Meaco product to be Wi-Fi enabled, allowing control from a phone via a dedicated app, so it can be switched on remotely to counter high pollen days.
For a good night’s sleep, there is a night mode which switches off all lighting and reduces the noise so that you can keep the unit operating without disturbing your sleep. And even more importantly it is energy efficient.
On a sustainability note, all air purifier packaging is now cardboard so that it can be recycled, no polystyrene is present in the packaging.
