WITH pollen levels soaring across the UK, no doubt many Brits will be in the throes of itchy, sneezy agony.
If you feel like you’ve tried every remedy under the sun to no avail, you might want to get your hands on a cheap hay fever relief product social media users have been raving about.
Pollen counts are set to remain high in most of the UK for the next few days
Social media users are raving about Allevia hay fever relief tabletsBoots
This is none other than super-strength medication fexofenadine fydrochloride, sold under the brand name Allevia in the UK.
You can find the tablets in most popular supermarkets and high street chemists, like Boots, Superdrug, Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s – and they’ll cost you as little as £4.
All you need to do is take one tablet a day to say bye-bye to a hay fever-induced runny nose, itchy or streaming and tickly throat.
The tablets claim to provide relied for up to 24 hours and not cause drowsiness for most people.
You can take them if you’re over 12 – Allevia recommended you have one tablet with water before a meal.
It noted that side effects could include headaches, dizziness, nausea and drowsiness for some.
And you should speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Allevia if:
you have a problem with your liveryou have problems with your kidneysyou have ever had heart diseaseyou are elderlyyou are pregnant or breastfeeding
You can buy a pack of 7 for as little as £3.49 at Superdrug.
Meanwhile, a pack of 15 retails for £5.89 at Superdrug or £6.40 on Amazon.
You can also grab a pack of 30 for £10.50 at Tesco and Sainsbury’s or £11 at Boots.
GP Pharmacist Nyrah Saleem recently made a TikTok about the tablets.
She said said fexofenadine hydrochloride – the active ingredient in Allevia – is some of the strongest hay fever relief you can buy over-the-counter in tablet form.
Nyrah added that the strong anti-histamine won’t make you drowsy unlike some others, and can be used to treat symptoms such as sneezing, runny eyes or itchy throat.
One user captioned their video: “When you discover Allevia tablets n hay fever isn’t ruining ur life anymore.”
Another another gave updates throughout her day after taking a tablet for the first time, stating at the five hour mark: “It’s been five hours, have I sneezed? I’m impressed.”
She gave another update eight hours after popping the tablet, telling viewers that she had been out all day “around nature and plants” and still showed no symptoms.
Pollen levels are set to be ‘very high’ across most of England for until Sunday, a parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland will also experience ‘high’ pollen counts, per the Met’s forecast.
Experts have shared some top tips on how to pollen-proof your home.
And hay fever sufferer Dr Susan Taheri, who founded the Growing Well Garden eco project in Devon, told Sun Health seven hacks to beat the pollen bomb and enjoy the great outdoors while the good weather persists.
What are the symptoms of hay fever?
HAY fever is a common allergic condition.
It affects up to one in five people at some point in their life.
You’ll experience hay fever symptoms if you have an allergic reaction to pollen.
The symptoms of hay fever include:
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)
Less commonly, you may also experience:
the loss of your sense of smell (anosmia)
facial pain (caused by blocked sinuses)
headaches
earache
tiredness and fatigue
If you have asthma, your asthma symptoms may get worse when you have hay fever.
Source: NHS