Apps, wearables and simple home remedies for seasonal sniffles

Newscred cold

For some people, certain types of weather bring on sniffles and sneezes. If this sounds like you, you're not alone, with as many as 10% to 30% of all adults affected by seasonal allergies. Here are some tips to help you breathe easy instantly and some pioneering developments on the horizon!

Quick wins

There are some things that anyone can do to stifle the sniffles. Switch exercise from outdoors to indoors and wear sunglasses to prevent irritants from entering the eyes. Sipping green tea has been shown to help hayfever and studies suggest that stress levels should be kept low, as stress can promote inflammation, which can magnify your body's allergic response.

Home remedies

Dosing up on drugs isn't always the answer. Instead, some home remedies can be effective, such as eating local honey. While not scientifically proven, it's thought that honey from your local area can, over time, reduce your response to allergens. It's also worth watching your diet and upping your intake of food with anti-inflammatory properties, such as turmeric, as well as orange and green fruit and vegetables.

Technology taking on hay-fever

Wearables and apps have hit the hayfever market! There are some amazing new apps that can track pesky air pollutants and allergens, as well as log symptoms, explain triggers and connect you to asthma and allergy specialists. Take a look at TZOA, a clip-on environment tracker, and WLab's Sensio app, that uses algorithms to help you understand and track your allergies and their triggers.

Medical marvels

On the horizon are smart contact lenses, with companies such as Google and Johnson & Johnson pioneering research in the area. These lenses could one day sense and warn you of allergens floating in the air, such as pollen.

Finally, antihistamines can be really effective in combatting hayfever and allergies. Failing that, it might be time to chat with your Doctor, who can advise on the best prescription remedies.