It’s Pollen Season!!
Some tips on using nasal sprays from an expert
Updating one’s knowledge is important and I recently came across a doctor by the name of Sophie Farooque. She authored a book titled “understanding allergy” which has some really interesting tips on managing allergies.
My wife has hay fever in the spring and she’s always asking me for tips. She has summer time hay fever so she’s normally okay in the spring. Her doctor has prescribed her a few nasal sprays but has never told her how to use one. This is the key really - just like inhalers, it is the misuse of nasal sprays that leads to their ineffectiveness.
So what should we be doing differently? Here are some awesome points Sophie makes which I now use to counsel my patients.
Nasal sprays take time to build up. You have to keep using them daily for at least a month to notice a difference.
Start using the nasal spray at least a FORTNITE before pollen season begins.
Don’t close one nostril when you spray. I used to do this myself and so did my wife.
Target the spray backwards, not upwards. Most people believe that the nasal passages go upwards. This is definitely not true!
Do not sniff the spray! This is like putting moisturiser on and wiping it straight off. Ideally it’s important for the spray to linger in the area.
Do not use a spray in isolation. One huge intervention for which there is already a massive evidence for is nasal douching. One can purchase such kits from Amazon easily and they are excellent at clearing the nose and sinuses.
We’re going to see a lot of patients with hay fever and hopefully the tips above can help patients find some benefit from their nasal sprays.
Until next time..
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