Here’s a round-up of the top ten best natural remedies to relieve and tackle common symptoms of hay fever.

1. Eat a spicy meal

Hay fever can causes a stuffy, blocked nose and if this is one of your symptoms then a hot curry could be the solution.

Spicy chilli peppers can help to widen your airways, making it easier to breathe, whilst spices such as turmeric are natural anti-inflammatories that can help relieve your symptoms.

2. Ditch alcohol

Alcoholic drinks contain histamines, which is the same substance released in the body when you have an allergic reaction.

Certain beverages could trigger asthma symptoms or make hay fever worse.

Sulphites, which are found in drinks such as white wine, can also exacerbate hay fever symptoms.

3. Have more honey

Honey is believed to be a natural remedy for hay fever due to the bee pollen in honey being able to desensitise your body to other pollens.

Increasing honey in your daily diet can help reduce hay fever symptoms and using honey local to your area allows for the best results.

4. Ditch the dairy

Dairy products can worsen common hay fever symptoms such as nasal congestion, as they increase the production of mucus in the respiratory tract, so it’s worth trying alternatives such as almond and rice milk in order to reduce hay fever symptoms.

5. Pick the right fruit and veg to eat

Capers, red onions and watercress all contain high amounts of the natural antihistamine quercetin, which can help reduce hay fever symptoms by blocking the effects of histamines.

Pineapple contains bromelain, which helps the body to absorb quercetin and apples, tomatoes and oranges are rich in beta carotene, vitamin C and bioflavonoids, all of which are anti-inflammatory agents believed to boost the immune system.

6. Drink Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea acts as an antioxidant and antihistamine, containing flavonoids which act effectively as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Drinking a cup of chamomile tea during the day can aid with hay fever symptoms, but a dampened and refrigerated chamomile tea bag can also be used as an eye compress, providing a cooling effect to swollen, red eyes.

7. Or try some nettle tea

Nettles are thought to be able to reduce the amount of histamine in the body caused by allergies, aiding with the relief of stuffy noses, sneezing and itchy eyes.

Nettles are also full of iron, Vitamin C and calcium, making them a great ‘pick me up’ when you’re feeling run down.

Make your own nettle tea or buy a pure nettle leaf tea and strain these as tea leaves in order to tackle the symptoms of hay fever.

8. Eat oily fish

Tuna, salmon and mackerel are all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which has been shown to reduce inflammation, hence aiding with the relief of hay fever.

Previous studies have shown that a couple of portions of fish a week can in fact calm symptoms for hay fever sufferers.

9. Use Vaseline

Combat hay fever and reduce symptoms by spreading a thin layer of Vaseline inside the lower nostrils.

Vaseline traps pollen entering the nostrils, effectively blocking it from entering the nasal passages, hence stopping hay fever symptoms from occurring or worsening.

10. Take a trip to the seaside

Hay fever can become a lot worse in the countryside and also in a big cities due to increased air pollution, so if you’re struggling with your symptoms a trip to the coast can really help.

The refreshing sea breeze will blow pollen inland before it can get to you, allowing for you to breathe in the cool air without the risk of sneezing or itchy eyes.