Can how you exercise affect your hay fever allergies?

Hay fever is one of the most common allergies to affect suffers across the UK. A 2010 report suggested that factors in the sufferers lives have an effect on the impact hay fever has. Things like stress, lifestyle choices and exercise levels all played a part in how hay fever affected the sufferers through the study of 2,000 people. Follow the 5 tips below to help stop sneezing!

Get more sleep

The hay fever seasons are difficult for many, but those who get more sleep are said to suffer much less than their early hour counterparts. The survey found that when hay fever sufferers got at least seven hours of sleep a night, only one in eight reported suffering from severe symptoms, whilst one in five who experienced five hours or less of sleep a night were said to suffer from severe problems.

Eat healthily

The survey suggested that hay fevers sufferers would suffer less severe symptoms from experiencing a healthy diet.

Eating a diet that’s varied in both fruit and vegetables helped hay fever sufferers relieve their symptoms. Be aware that some healthy foods, such as apples, tomatoes, bananas, melons and celery all can be make hay fever symptoms worsen.

Relax

Try to reduce your levels of stress, as this is also linked to how much of an effect hay fever can have. The higher the levels of stress, the worse it became for sufferers in the study. Nearly seven out of ten sufferers rated their symptoms as unbearable when they were stressed, yet as stress levels dropped, the symptoms became much more bearable.

Slow down on your alcohol consumption

Beware of your alcohol consumption in the hot summer days as alcohol is linked to the allergy levels in hay fever. Beer and wine, amongst other spirits, contains histamine, the chemical responsible for setting off allergy symptoms in your body. As alcohol dehydrates your body, it’ll make symptoms seem much worse.

Enjoy more exercise

Enjoying higher levels of exercise can actually improve your hay fever. The 2010 survey found that those with hay fever who exercised regularly had the mildest symptoms. Exercise reduces your levels of stress too, so it helps relieve allergies in two ways.

Sufferers should aim to do two and a half hours of aerobic exercise per week, such as cycling or fast walking. Try to avoid exercising outside though, as pollen levels are high and this will attack your allergy levels.