Sneeze, sneeze; itch, itch: Try a yoghurt
If you’re struggling with the usual sneezing and itchy eyes this time of year, try eating yoghurt.
Probiotics, the friendly bacteria found in yoghurt, can ease hay fever, according to research.
The findings are based on a new analysis of 23 studies involving more than 1,900 people.
Doctors at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine said 17 of the studies showed a significant clinical benefit from the use of probiotics for hay fever when compared to a placebo.
Writing in the International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology, the researchers said: ‘The current study suggests that probiotics have the potential to alter disease severity, symptoms and quality of life in patients with allergic rhinitis (hay fever).
‘Positive outcomes were reported in a majority of studies with no significant adverse effects.’
However, they stopped short of recommending probiotics as a standalone treatment for people suffering with the condition.
Hay fever affects up to one in five people at some point in their life, according to data from the NHS in the UK.
Pollen, the fine powder released by plants as part of their reproductive cycle, contains proteins that can cause the nose, eyes, throat and sinuses to swell and become irritated.
In childhood, the condition is more common in boys than girls, but in adulthood, men and women are equally affected.
As well as hay fever, probiotics have been shown to improve symptoms in other inflammatory conditions, such as dermatitis and irritable bowel syndrome, the researchers said.