Hay fever is on the rise and set to increase further

What do Hugh Grant, Kate Winslet, Orlando Bloom and Scarlett Johansen have in common besides their A-list movie star status? They all suffer with the dreaded, seasonal disorder hay-fever.

 

The summer-spoiling symptoms of hay fever are caused by inflammation of the sinuses due to an allergic reaction to pollen.

Your immune system thinks it has come into contact with a harmful agent, meaning it overreacts and produces immunoglobulins which release the chemicals that irritate your nose, throat and eyes.

Hay fever in the body

Even Olympic gold-medal winner Denise Lewis can’t beat the effects of hay fever.

And the amount of UK sufferers losing in the hay fever race is set to double within the next 20 years.

The 15 million Britons currently suffering with hay fever is estimated to double to 32 million by 2030, as more people move to cities.

This is according to a report by Professor Jean Emberlin, of Allergy UK and Pollen UK, who claims that the mild winter, followed by a cold spell means that 'pollen counts are likely to be two or three times higher than last year in many areas including cities, where air pollution causes more potent reactions to pollen'.

She said: “As the urban population rises over the next 20 years, we can expect to see the number of hay fever sufferers double if not more.”

London and Birmingham will see the biggest rises in sufferers with 45 per cent of the cities’ population affected, up from the current 25 per cent, according to the report.

More organic and less medicinal methods of treating hay fever are becoming popular with herbal remedies on the market to combat the negative side effects often related to many antihistamines and nasal sprays.

The Bowen Technique is a natural, drug-free, non-invasive, complementary therapy that can also help treat the seasonal disorder without the unwanted secondary effects.

Rather than 'making' the body change, Bowen 'asks' the body to recognise the ailment and make the changes it requires.

During the 30-60 minute treatment, the Bowen practitioner makes small, rolling movements over muscles, tendons, ligaments and soft tissue at precise points on the body, using only the amount of pressure appropriate for that individual.

No hard-tissue manipulation or force is needed or used.

Between each set of moves, the body is allowed to rest for a few minutes, to allow it to absorb the information it has received and initiate the healing process.

The massage acts as lymphatic drainage which helps with the breathing and sensory difficulties associated with hay fever.

If you suffer from hay fever and are interested in Bowen Therapy, find a qualified Bowen practitioner near to you by visiting http://www.bowen-therapy.co/Bowen/btpa-find-therapist.asp or call 0844 561 7173