Hay fever (or seasonal allergic rhinitis to give it its proper medical name) is a particularly troublesome condition for athletes, especially in the summer months. This is due to an increase in various grass, tree and other pollens present in the air. The levels of pollen will vary from day to day depending on the general weather conditions.
Many people are affected but some undoubtedly suffer to a greater extent than others. There sometimes is an association with other so-called atopic conditions such as allergic asthma and eczema. The basic underlying problem is of an over-vigorous immune response reacting to things that don’t really pose a threat to the individual. In other words, the body system that is important in protecting against outside threats - like colds and viruses - over-reacts to trivial threats like plant pollens.
Although there are various pills and sprays that help to control this over-reaction, there are some other simple measures worth taking to reduce the exposure to pollen. For instance, wearing glasses or sunglasses will help to some extent in reducing the amount of pollen causing eye irritation. Wearing a hat sometimes helps, strange as it might sound. Pollen can get stuck in the hair and then be released into the air again when back indoors, when the hair is brushed or rubbed.
There are many possible remedies available without a prescription. Doctors all have their particular favourites (sometimes just because they are easy to remember or easy to spell). For a competitive athlete it is important that nothing in the treatment is in breach of the anti-doping regulations. I like to keep things simple so my recommendation is Clarityn tablets (one per day) as an anti-histamine. If nasal symptoms remain a problem then add in an Aller-eze nasal spray and if eye problems are a nuisance (despite the sunglasses) then try Opticrom eye drops. None of these will cause problems in relation to the anti-doping regulations. Other doctors will have their own favourites, which are just as good.
If you have any doubt about medication you may be using please consult the excellent Drug Information Database run by UK Sport. It can be found at www.didglobal.com or you can call the free-phone helpline on 0800 528 0004 during normal office hours. Alternatively, you may email the team at drug-free@uksport.gov.uk with any specific queries.
