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Hay fever: Allergen expert reveals the best natural remedies to alleviate symptoms
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Jun 20, 2025
Allergen Practitioner Doctor Clare Anyiam-Osigwe has shared her top tips for tackling hay fever this summer season, as the warmer weather brings a higher pollen count for sufferers.Speaking to GB News, Dr Anyiam-Osigwe revealed some key diet changes and lifestyle tips to help alleviate symptoms.FULL STORY HERE.
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0:00
Bit of a gear change now, because if, like me
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you've been suffering from hay fever this summer, I'm sure you'll be glad to hear we're getting some top tips now from a doctor
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Yes, so, with the first heatwave of the year this weekend, does that mean necessarily the pollen count's going to get higher
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Allergy practitioner Dr Clare Anyama-Sigwe joins us now. Good to see you this morning
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Very good to be here. Does the hot weather necessarily mean more pollen? It does. It actually accelerates the issue
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So you've got pollen from the trees, from the grass, you've got pollution, and now you've got the heat wave as well
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So that concoction flares up the skin, especially around the nostrils. We're streaming, we're sniffling, we're itching our eyes
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So for me, as an allergist, my practice is about advocating for plant-based antihistamines
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So I think the prep starts the night before. You're washing the clothes that you've worn the night, you know, during the day, so you're not bringing pollen into the home
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you are eating quercetin ingredients like leeks garlic kale So you can make yourself a lovely soup you know or a lovely stew with those ingredients And then overnight what you doing you waking up
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If you do need to take some supplements that have got those ingredients in as well
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that's really, really good. You can do a breakfast smoothie. And then you're going to be using natural
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sort of balms to use as a barrier around the nose with some lavender oil. You can pop some
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cucumber on your eyes. That'll be a great relief to a lot of people. I also use a bit of aloe vera
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as well, mixed with arnica. And then you're going out into the world, you know
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facing the day with something to combat that naturally. That's my recommendation
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I want to come up to antihistamines first. Drowsy versus non-drowsy, I can't take the drowsy ones in this job, it just ruins me
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Of course. But are they less effective than... Are the non-drowsy ones less effective than the drowsy ones
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Essentially, they are. Oh, no. No wonder. There are less of the ingredients in there that stop the streaming and all of the symptoms
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However if you combat that and use it in conjunction with what I suggesting you won lose that energy You won have that lethargy that you feel the headaches And also the streaming will stop around the eyes You see I quite intrigued by the idea that you sort of say
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there are things we can do in our sort of behaviour and diet. Does that mean then you can actually rule out the pharmacy
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Well, look, I'm an AP, I'm an allergist. The general practitioner will say take, you know
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your Puritan and your different brands over the counter. I would say use them together
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If you are somebody that already eats quercetin-rich foods in your diet
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you're doing a more plant-based diet, then you're ahead of the game. But if you're not and you've suddenly been hit this week
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you know, 26 Celsius is going higher every day, 16 million of us are suffering with hay fever
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3.4 million of that have hay fever and asthma. So for those sufferers, they're looking for a solution right now
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Now, I would combine the two. I would start changing my diet to match what I've suggested
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and I would also do what your GP suggests. We're running out of time, but I really quickly just want to ask you
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one of our viewers wrote in and asked can acupuncture help with hay fever Is that something you ever heard of I never heard of that but I can see a link because of the nervous system but it not about nervous system for this
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It's about immune boost. OK. So, like I said, your green ingredients, your berries
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your oats, your banana, your kales, that's what it's about. Natural teas, nettle, turmeric
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Again, for some of us, it's like, oh, these don't sound like the best-tasting ingredients
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but actually that's going to boost the immune system and make you have a lot of things. I'll just go actually very quickly then
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Do any of these things, if you take them year in, year out
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do they have an impact over time and become less reactive to pollen
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Yes, absolutely. And that's why I'm really advocating for children. If we can get parents watching this
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to start children with natural raw honey, so find out about your local beekeepers
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you know, start spreading your natural jams. I know it sounds like a lot of extra work
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but actually by the time they reach adulthood... You've ever had hay fever. You know, you don't want those panda eyes
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And you don't want that streaming, do you? Dr Clare, really good to talk to you
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Thank you so much for having me on
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