Nothing to sneeze at.....

Spring has finally arrived, flower’s are blooming, it’s light in the evening and the trees are awakening from their slumber, but for an unfortunate few (15% of the UK population (1)) this also means a heightened immune response resulting in sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes, I am of course talking about pollen allergies or hay fever.  Standard treatment from the GP is includes nasal spray and antihistamines which can be very effective in reducing the immune response.  Antihistamines work by suppressing the immune response so that when pollen is encountered by the immune system, the reaction is less severe, reducing symptoms, unfortunately reducing the immune response means that other potential pathogens may enter the body unchecked, drowsiness is also a commonly reported side effect (2) resulting in many people seeking alternative treatments.  

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