Sensory Integration Education

Hayfever is not fun for anyone and can be particularly challenging if you have sensory sensitivities. The common hay fever symptoms of watery puffy eyes, an itchy sore throat, congestion and runny nose can impact your sleep and seriously test your self-regulation skills. You may notice that you or your child are struggling to cope with these allergic reactions on top of managing sensory stressors - and this combination can lead to more frequent meltdowns. 

In the UK, hay fever season is between late March and September and is worse when the weather is warm, humid and windy. Hay fever (or seasonal rhinitis) symptoms are caused by an allergic reaction to pollen released by plants and trees. You can get it at any age and it’s one of the most common allergies in the UK, affecting around 13 million people. There is no cure for hay fever but you can manage the symptoms. 

7 Tips on Coping With Hay Fever for People With Sensory Sensitivities

We asked OT and Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner Anna Willis to suggest some practical tips to help people with sensory sensitivities cope during hay fever season:

1. Make Allowances and Use Your Sensory Tools

Feeling itchy, sneezy and a bit off means that your capacity for anything else is limited. Think about a jug. On a good day, your jug is empty and each little sensory annoyance is a bit of water in the jug. On good days, your tolerance seems to be much higher and you can cope with various stimuli. On a day where hay fever is at play, your jug may already be half full or even overflowing! Any additional sensory stimuli is going to make you feel overloaded more quickly. On high pollen-count days, give yourself or your child that little extra leeway. 

Remember to utilise all the sensory tools you have to help you or your child self-regulate. These may include favourite fidgets, chewable items or chewing gum, comforting weighted lap pads or backpacks, compression vests, swings - whatever normally works for you or your child to feel calmer. 

2. Speak to Your Pharmacist

The NHS recommends your pharmacist as your first point of contact for hay fever symptom treatments, including antihistamine drops, tablets or nasal sprays. Be aware that many antihistamines can cause drowsiness so, again, you need to be easier on yourself or your child if you find that medications affect the ability to focus. 

3. Plan Your Activities 

Plan your activities and your environment. If your or your young person is struggling with hay fever and the pollen count is high that day (check on weather apps or sites), it may not be the best time to go for a stroll in the park. Choose indoor activities if possible. Pollen is most abundant in the early morning and early evening, so plan activities to avoid being outdoors during these times.

4. Keep Pollen Out

Try to stay inside with the windows and doors shut to limit exposure to pollen. The NHS website suggests buying a pollen filter for the air vents in your car and a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. Keep car windows closed when driving. Remove outdoor clothes upon entering the house as they may have pollen on them. Shower or bathe before bedtime to avoid transferring pollen to your bed.

5. Protect and Soothe Eyes

When going outdoors, sunglasses can serve a dual purpose: as well as helping dampen down visual input, they also provide a physical barrier between eyes and pollen. Wraparound sunglasses are the best as they protect more of the face. 

Itchy eyes? Keep a gel eye mask in the fridge. This can give instant relief and help soothe the irritation. Alternatively you can make a cold compress from using a flannel in a bowl of ice and water, wringing it out and laying it across closed eyes. 

6. Defend the Nostrils!

It may be difficult to get your child or young person to tolerate a nasal spray or eye drops if they have sensitivity to tactile (touch) input. Another method of preventing pollen from entering the nose is to put a barrier balm, such as Vaseline, around the nostrils. Although this may not be tolerable for some people.

7. Soothe a Sore Throat

A humidifier could help relieve the sore throat associated with hay fever, as could drinking warm liquids or soup. Warm water (from the kettle), honey and lemon is a traditional drink to help soothe sore throats. Some people believe that using local honey can help combat hay fever although there is no evidence to support this.

Further Resources

Find tips on what NOT to do during hay fever season from the NHS and further resources from Allergy UK. 

If you are a parent or carer of a child with sensory sensitivities, have a look at our FREE COURSE: Understanding Sensory Processing and Integration In Children: A Guide for Parents and Carers