Running with Hay Fever
Hay fever is a seasonal condition which affects many runners ranging from an irritation to a major disruption in run training and races and enjoyment of running. Around 25% of the UK population is affected by hay fever and there are lots of online articles outlining advice for runners, so we thought we’d talk about current lifestyle advice and add our own advice on what you may do nutritionally to support yourself over the coming months. We will cover:
1. What is hay fever - symptoms and underlying causes?
2. What changes can you make to your running routine to minimise exposure to pollen?
3. What can you do nutritionally to help prevent or minimise hay fever symptoms?
SHOW NOTES
(00:33)
Our personal experiences of hay fever and how it affects our running plans.
(05:04)
What is allergic rhinitis? What are the different pollen types?
The medical name for hay fever is Allergic Rhinitis or you may have heard it called a Seasonal Allergy. Basically it’s:
· An over-reaction of immune system to pollen
· Leads to inflammation of nose, sinuses, eyes (itchy/watery), throat, tightening of the chest/wheeziness
· 25% of UK population affected by hay fever
There are different types of pollen which are seasonal:
· Tree Pollen – spring – lots of different tree pollens
· Grass Pollen – end spring and into summer
· Weed Pollen – autumn
So potentially the hay fever season lasts for a few months
(07:40)
The medical risk factors for developing allergic rhinitis are:
· Asthma
· Eczema
· Suppressed Immune System linked that Compromised Digestion too as, 70% of immune system lives in the gut
We also should consider environmental factors – how much exposure do we have to pollen? As runners we are outdoors a lot so that probably puts us as a group into the high-risk category.
(08:45)
An overview of symptoms and how they affect a runner:
The most typical affect is that hay fever symptoms weaken nasal flow up to 80% i.e. impairs breathing and cardiovascular system and the chest may tighten.
Repetitive sneezing affects concentration, performance, energy (mental/physical and may affect sleep).
One sneeze and close of eyes takes a 1 second – so a series of sneezes will impact on your running time, we heard an example of 60 sneezes impacting on a 10K time of 1 minute – that is a lot of sneezes!
Sneezing is probably the most common symptom, but other symptoms may include:
· Itchy nose/palate/throat
· Itchy and watery eyes – there is a risk that infection may follow if eyes are rubbed a lot
· Blocked nose and nasal congestion
· A Runny nose
· Post-nasal drip – which is the sensation of mucus running down back of throat
· Wheezing and tight chest
(11:21)
What is happening physiologically to trigger the symptoms of hay fever and the role of histamine.
As the name suggests Allergic Rhinitis or Seasonal Rhinitis – the immune system is reacting to the seasonal air borne pollen particles (allergens) we are exposed to. The pollen enters the body in low doses by a diffusion
