Did you know that there are more than 5 million people in the Netherlands who suffer from hay fever? And that varies from a stuffy or runny nose to itchy eyes. Shortness of breath and headaches can also occur. It is surprising what hay fever can do to you. But it is even more surprising that so few people go to the doctor. And why? Because we don't really estimate the adverse effects of hay fever very well.
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The symptoms of hay fever can vary greatly from patient to patient. I myself suffer from hay fever, even though it can vary from day to day. This 'pollen allergy' has much more impact on me than I initially thought. In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, I am sometimes dog tired all day long. Other days it only bothers me for a few hours. Unnoticed I accept the hay fever. And that's exactly what I (and neither should you) do. Resigning yourself to the fact that it's 'just hay fever'. Because the impact is too great for that.
Of all final exam candidates who are currently studying hard for their final exams, just under 30% probably suffers from hay fever. And that is a tough time at this time of year - when they really have to pull out all the stops. Concentration is hard to find and hanging 'gasp' over a book is not really conducive to the learning process. I keep a close eye on Luc's, because it also started at that age with me.
Imagine that after a bad night's sleep (yes, that is also a nice side effect of hay fever) you have to take an exam. Then your start is slightly different from that of a well-rested student who does not suffer from hay fever, isn't it? Add to that the fact that the learning in the days before for the hay fever patient did not go so smoothly and you know that the chance for this sniffing, sneezing, tired student of a successful end result is smaller. Too bad!
That's how I experienced it myself last Easter. Normally we all make Paaspop unsafe, but this year I gave up on day 2 early in the evening. I was just completely devastated. I always had to rinse my face with cold water, it felt so swollen. Inside, with all windows and doors closed, it took a few more hours before I felt okay again. And that was just in my spare time. No work, study or other obligation was involved here!
Many hay fever patients do not consider themselves a real patient. They look for the treatment of the hay fever complaints they have in nasal sprays, eye drops or pills from the local drugstore. Unfair and not so smart. It is much better to go to the doctor if you suffer from hay fever. In many cases, the GP can really do something about it. In addition, I myself have had good experiences with the Rowenta air purifier, read more about it here.
Note to self:it's time for me to pay a visit to the doctor again. I have the idea that my medication has not helped well enough lately and the complaints are increasing again. Since there are many medicines for hay fever, another remedy may be better. I would therefore advise everyone to go back to the doctor, so that they can look at the right medication. It should be possible to have no complaints at all from hay fever…and that sounds like music to your ears, doesn't it?
Would you like even more information about hay fever and the impact it can have on your life? Read more on the website Mijnluchtweg allergy.nl, where medical professionals can inform you about everything related to this subject. Also useful is the app Mask air that you can download, then you have a kind of log on your phone. This way you can always retroactively see how your hay fever complaints are at a certain moment.
