Hay fever sufferers will know how annoying it can be around this time of year, and it turns out you might have been using nasal relief spray all wrong – thankfully, an experts has explained what you should be doing
Hay fever sufferers have been using a key symptom-reliever incorrectly, according to a health expert.
During an appearance on ITV’s This Morning, host Cat Deeley asked Professor Helen Brough about the correct way to use a nasal spray, and viewers were shocked by her response.
X (formerly Twitter) user @AntoineSpeaker shared the clip, expressing his surprise: “I’ve been doing it wrong all this time…no wonder hay fever has been winning.”
Deeley admitted she was “under the illusion” that you should inhale while administering the nasal spray – but this is incorrect. Professor Brough explained that if you sniff while spraying, you’ll swallow “the whole steroid into the stomach”, rendering the medication ineffective. This revelation left both Deeley and co-host Ben Shephard astounded.
So, what is the correct method? Professor Brough advised: “Head down, and then you angle the nasal steroid spray towards the side of the nose, and the nasal hairs will then slowly bring it back to where it needs to go.
“And then you don’t sniff, you just hold a little tissue here [under the nose] if you need to, if there’s any that falls out, but most of the time nothing falls out. And that will then mean it goes to where it’s directed. And it also means that you’re much less likely to get nosebleeds.”
Regarding hay fever, the NHS says: “Symptoms are usually worse between late March and September, especially when it’s warm, humid and windy. This is when the pollen count is at its highest”, so many will be reaching for over the counter remedies to stop symptoms.”
For those battling with symptoms, the NHS suggests you:
- put petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) around your nostrils to trap pollen
- wear wraparound sunglasses, a mask or a wide-brimmed hat to stop pollen from getting into your nose and eyes
- shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off
- keep windows and doors shut as much as possible
- vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth
- try to use a pollen filter in the air vents of your car, if you have one, and a HEPA filter in your vacuum cleaner
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