Ask a doctor; Your asthma, hay fever and allergy questions answered

Lloyds Online Doctor has got your back and answered some of the queries you sent our way.

You’ve endured eight wet and windy Irish months waiting for summer to start so you can bust out those Bermuda shorts and get cracking with the BBQs. You’re ready. You’re excited. You step outside your door into the blistering 15 degree heat only to realise that your eyes are on fire and you can’t move for mucus. You’ve got hay fever – just like one in five people in Ireland – but that’s no reason to let it ruin your glorious summer.

That's why Dr Gigi Taguri from Lloyds Online Doctor is on hand to help with your allergies before things get too messy. Gigi has worked as a GP and also in hospitals for over nine years. She will be answering your questions every two weeks -so look out for the hashtag #askadoctor on Twitter to get involved.

Is it true that if I take a spoonful of honey every day for a year, this will rid me of my hay fever?

Although there might be some truth to this, I don’t think it’s based on much scientific evidence.  It’s probably to do with the idea that that honey is contaminated with local pollen, the ingestion of which desensitises you.

There’s a lot of myths surrounding hay fever, so here’s a couple to look out for:

Myth: Hay fever is caused by hay
Reality: Hay fever doesn’t actually mean you are allergic to hay. Despite the misleading name, hay fever is actually caused by around 30 different types of pollen.

Myth: Exposure to animals over a long period of time will desensitize you to them
Reality: This is sometimes true, but it depends on natural immunity and genetics. Some people live with a pet for years and see allergies disappear, but for others a pet dog is impossible.

My wife is pregnant and suffers from hay fever. What can she take?

Fortunately your wife doesn’t have to suffer as there are many treatments out there that can help nip hay fever in the bud (pun intended). However, not all of these are suitable for pregnant women and I would advise your wife to see her GP as the medicines prescribed will be based on her individual symptoms, and which trimester she is in.

For other readers also suffering, here are my top tips for tackling hay fever:

1.  Use a preventative treatment two weeks before you think symptoms will start as taking medication on the day is much less effective.
2. For the milder cases of hay fever, tablets (non-sedative antihistamines) work best when taken daily during the allergy season rather than only on days when you have symptoms.
3. You can buy over-the-counter nasal sprays which contain steroids. (No they won’t help with bulking). These reduce inflammation and soothe streaming eyes. When using a nasal spray, tip your head forward, look down, and spray towards the front of your nose.
4. Line the inside of your nose with Vaseline to trap pollen, keep car windows shut with air conditioning on, and shower after you have been outside to reduce your exposure to pollen.
5. Keep an eye on the Met Éireann (met.ie) website for pollen counts to limit your exposure when the pollen count is high.

How do you know what triggers asthma?

There are many things that can trigger your asthma such as exercise, dust and pollen. I’d suggest keeping a daily asthma diary to track what you’re doing and when your asthma worsens. You can then identify themes and triggers.

When hay fever triggers your asthma, summer can be tough. Treating allergies should lead to better breathing overall, but deal with your asthma as you would normally, taking your reliever inhaler as needed and your preventer as prescribed. For further information on dealing with asthma symptoms in summer, check out my colleague Dr Christina Hennessey’s blog.

If you need a convenient way to help manage your asthma, we now provide an asthma treatment service. One of our doctors can provide you with a personalised action plan and make sure you’re on the right prescription which will help control your asthma.

My ears keep crackling and popping. Is this related to my sinuses, as I get bad hay fever?

It’s frustrating when your ears make a crackling, popping or whistling noise as it can really disrupt your day-to-day life. What you are describing to me sounds like a blockage of the Eustachian tube (ETD) which runs from the middle ear to the back of the throat. The crackling noise is sometimes caused by coughs and colds when the fluid in the ear becomes thick and sticky.

ETD is not often caused by hay fever but it’s possible that swelling of the ears, brought on by allergies has caused this to happen. To be absolutely sure, I would see a GP for an ear examination.

In two weeks’ time, the topic of Erectile Dysfunction will be tackled by Dr Gigi, so if you’re worried about your performance in the bedroom, now is your chance to ask a doctor in confidence. Email your questions to [email protected] and don’t forget to follow @LloydsPharmacy

Lloyds Online Doctor provides men with consultations and prescriptions for a range of treatments including erectile dysfunction, weight loss, stop smoking and home STI test kits. Launched in July 2013, the service has treated over 20,000 Irish patients so far. To find out more about the service visit www.lloydsonlinedoctor.ie