Hay Fever Season
"The bodies of living creatures are doomed to annihilation and death in this world because of an imbalance between what is taken in and what is expended. From childhood until maturity much taken in, and after that what is expended increases; the balance is spoilt, and the body dies. In the world of eternity, however, the particles of the body remain constant and are not subject to composition and dissolution, or else the balanceremains constant." (Sözler (Words), Yirmi Sekizinci Söz (Twenty-Eighth Word))
British summer can be one of the most challenging times of the year for every 1 in 4 adults.The notoriously disturbing symptoms can affect ones day to day activities. Production decreases, mood changes and general performance from cooking, cleaning , going out, meeting people and working all get affected. It is the time of year millions dread. We keep a watery eye out for details of pollen count, itching away whilst a blocked nose affects our speech. But when did this dreadful allergy come about. It was first documented in the 19th century, When John Bostock first started on the hunt for the cause of a mysterious summer illness, he could only find 28 other subjects for his research with the same symptoms. Nevertheless, Bostock managed to publish his paper titled ‘Case of a Periodical Affection of the Eyes and Chest’ to the Medical and Chirurgical Society. This was the beginning of the discovery of hay fever.
What are the symptoms?
frequent sneezing.
runny or blocked nose.
itchy, red or watery eyes (allergic conjunctivitis)
an itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears.
cough, caused by postnasal drip (mucus dripping down the throat from the back of the nose)
What are known treatments?
The NHS of United Kingdom say “ There's currently no cure for hay fever and you cannot prevent it”. They advise a steroid treatment, such as a steroid nasal spray. They say if these dont work, which most of the time they do not then ask your GP for immunotherapy. This means you'll be given small amounts of pollen as an injection or tablet to slowly build up your immunity to pollen. But we are all quite sceptical about injections these days . Big Pharma has CEOs that are not interested in our recovery. Other treatments are antihistamine tablets, nasal spray and eye drops. All which can help temporarily, but we will have to consume quite a bit of chemical into our natural bodies before we feel the effects. For some of us the effects can be quite instant, however we still keep consuming the tablets throughout the summer.
Ways to protect yourself?
put some natural jelly around your nostrils to trap pollen
wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes
cold shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off
stay indoors whenever possible
keep windows and doors shut as much as possible
vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth
buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car and a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter
At The Frankincense Store we have our very own ways to keep protected during these summer months. Store Founder Shehbaz has suffered from hay fever all his life . “ One of the things I have observed is that it’s a British Disease". I never seem to get it in any other country I have stayed in. Regardless of all the research and history of hay fever there still seems to be a strong belief amongst many people that pharmaceutical companies invest heavily in the increase of hay fever year after year. 15 million people buying tablets every fortnight that is millions of pounds worth of business that they do not want to loose. But we have a choice and we do not have to buy into their marketing. “Some summers I suffer extremely without taking any medication, other times I have to give in , but I am convinced there are natural solutions and I try to find that in Frankincense” says Shehbaz. Burning the Frankincense resin helps to clear the airway in the home and helps with breathing too. Frankincense essential oils are great to rub into the palms of the hand and then cover the face inhaling the aroma, this also helps to clear the nasal passage and pathways. Our Frankincense nasal inhalers are a great way to have the same effect as the essential oil and can easily be carried around in the pocket. The aroma of Frankincense awakens the mind which is great when one can feel quite drowsy with constant sneezing. Adding some oil into some water and making a face mist helps to keep cool. Keep washing your face with cold water and remember always wear sunglasses, yes even indoors.😎
As well as using Frankincense products like ours inhalers or essential oils sometimes you need a lot more than just that. We recommend Rebecca aka Laz the plant scientist who is dedicated to the study of plants and their medicines. She has created an amazing remedy for hay fever sufferers like us. Using ingredients such as black seed, nettle, elderflower, plantain, and ground ivy combined together to create Meadow Remedy a product available on her website.
Instagram #laztheplantscientist