A MUM claims deliberately stinging herself with nettles “cures” her hay fever – relieving her symptoms in as little as 10 minutes.
Rebecca Pullin says she has suffered from a pollen allergy for the last decade and every summer has to put up with irritated eyes, a sore throat and drowsiness.
Kennedy Newsand MediaRebecca Pullin, 38, says deliberately stinging herself with nettles relieves her of hay fever symptoms[/caption] Kennedy Newsand MediaShe gets a raised rash from the stings but she claims they shake off her drowsiness[/caption]But when her mum Beverly Stickley, 68, suggested she tried stinging herself with a nettle after seeing a post about it online, the mum-of-two decided to give it a go.
On a dog walk in April this year, the 38-year-old proceeded to rub the plant on her arm, which caused itchy bumps to develop on her skin.
At first Rebecca says she thought nothing of it, but after repeating the “natural” remedy four days in a row she claims it had relieved her hay fever symptoms.
The dog walker says whenever she wakes up and feels lethargic, she now stings herself with a nettle – sometimes every day – and claims her pollen allergy symptoms disappear in as little as 10 minutes.
Hay fever symptoms are caused by immune system reacting to pollen to produce histamine and other chemicals in the body.
As stinging nettles contain histamine, some people believe the plant has anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory properties.
Rebecca is now sharing her treatment method in the hopes of helping other people suffering with hay fever this year.
Rebecca, from Bath in Somerset, said: “”Hay fever affects me quite a lot as I’m a dog walker and feel lethargic and lack motivation.
“This is usually when I know I’ve got hay fever because I’m not like this normally.
“I get really drowsy. It always affects my eyes and they sting.
“I don’t get a runny nose but I got headaches and a sore throat.
“I just feel like I’m poorly and exhausted. As soon as I sting myself on a stinging nettle I feel fine.
“[In April this year], I got out of my van to do a group walk with my dogs and saw some nettles and decided to sting myself.
“I did this for three or four days to see if it worked to begin with and didn’t think anything of it. After four days I felt so much better.
Kennedy Newsand MediaRebecca is a dog walker and so gets very affected by hay fever[/caption] Kennedy Newsand MediaShe claims stinging herself get rid of symptoms in 10 minutes[/caption]“I tend to rub my arm on the stem and then when I’ve done this a few times I’ve stung myself quite a lot.
“Now when I feel tired, I sting myself and within 10 minutes I feel different. The stinging nettles help to relieve my hay fever symptoms.
“There will be weeks where I feel like I have to do it every day and I’ll sting myself to get through the day but then there are times when I haven’t stung myself for a couple of days.”
According to the Met Office, tree pollen occurs typically from late March to mid-May, which is then followed by grass pollen until July and weed pollen occurs from the end of June to September.
Hay fever first aid kit
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Antihistamines
Antihistamines (cetirizine or loratadine) work by blocking histamine in the body, which is released when the body detects something it thinks is harmful.
Histamine causes blood vessels to expand and the skin to swell, but in people with hay fever, also causes an allergic reaction. That’s the watering eyes, blocked nose, rashes and so on.
Max Wiseberg, airborne allergens expert and creator of HayMax, says that many antihistamines are available on prescription, such as Telfast, which you can see your GP for or get through an online doctor, such as LloydsPharmacy.
Telfast, and other prescription-only antihistamine tablets, work in the same way as over-the-counter antihistamines, but are stronger and intended to help with more severe symptoms.
“Get your prescription in advance of the season so you have your medication in time to start taking it at the right time,” he says.
“Some are best taken at least one month before the hay fever season starts.”
Nasal sprays
A nasal spray can be effective in controlling congestion and stuffiness.
Pharmacists can advise on nasal sprays (sodium cromoglicate, ipratropium bromide or decongestant), and eye drops, too.
Nasal sprays can also help with other symptoms of hay fever “because the medicine is targeted directly to the nose, which is where the vast majority of allergens enter the body”, Max says.
Independent pharmacist Rita Ghelani says: “Try Xlear nasal spray, which contains xylitol, and has anti-bacterial properties and keeps the nasal lining moist.
“If symptoms are more severe, then try an anti-inflammatory nasal spray – sometimes referred to as a steroid nasal spray – which can take a few days to work.
“Start with one that contains beclomethasone, which is used twice a day, in the morning and at night.”
Rita also advises cleaning the nose with a saline nasal spray before a steroid spray, saying: “It will remove sticky mucus from the nasal passage, thus improving the effectiveness of the medication.”
Eye drops
If itchy eyes are your primary concern, Rita says: “Try using sodium cromoglicate eye drops.
“These make the eyes less sensitive to allergens such as pollen and reduce irritation.
“They need to be used four times a day to keep the levels of the active ingredient high enough to be effective.
“Keep using them even if symptoms improve.
“Using a good eye drop to lubricate the eyes may also help with dry eyes during the summer months.”
This means hay fever is prevalent in the UK during the spring and summer months and with this year’s warm, dry weather, it is expected to be worse than normal.
Rebecca says she doesn’t like taking antihistamine tablets as her hay fever already makes her lethargic and claims these tablets make her tiredness worse.
Rebecca said: “I won’t take antihistamines as I suffered from drowsiness [as one of my symptoms] and taking these just seemed to make it worse.
“I don’t know if stinging myself will completely cure hay fever but it definitely at the beginning I had to sting myself a lot more than I did now.
“I recommend other hay fever sufferers to try this remedy.
“I’d say the irritation from the sting and the feeling of being stung is much better than suffering from hay fever.
“When I first stung myself I was aware of the sting but now I don’t even feel it.
“Also, I noticed the first time I got stung the tingling sensation lasted longer than it does now and goes in a matter of minutes.
“I thought if the video could even just help one person, that would be great.”
It goes without saying that you shouldn’t try this if you’re allergic to nettle stings.
Nettle stings can be itchy and you may feel a stinging or burning sensation.
This will usually settle down within a few minutes or a few days and you can often treat them yourself.
It may cause a raised red patches on the skin.
St John’s Ambulance recommends you was the affected area with soap and water and avoid scratching it.
If the irritation is severe, cooling the skin with a damp cloth, ice pack, or bag of frozen veggies may help soothe it.
In very rare cases, people may have a severe allergic reaction to a nettle sting. Seek immediate medical help if that happens.
What other natural remedies do doctors recommend for hayfever?
IF you don't want to take antihistamines to keep hayfever symptoms at bay, there are a number of tried and tested natural remedies you can give a go instead. Here's some of the ones doctors recommend:
Saltwater nasal sprays
Sprays containing Ectoin can both relieve symptoms and prevent them too, expert consultant adult and paediatric allergist and immunologist Professor Adam Fox explained.
Steam inhalation
Another natural remedy, which is also safe to use during pregnancy as well, is steam inhalation. This solution has been used for centuries to help ease nasal congestion, and is as helpful at reducing hayfever symptoms as it is for sinusitis or a head cold.
Wear sunglasses
Investing in a good pair of wrap around sunglasses can be vital if you struggle with hayfever, as they can help reduce the amount of pollen that gets into, and irritates, the eyes.
Clean pollen away before bed
It’s also important to ensure you’re not taking pollen from the day to bed with you. Make sure you wash your hair and clean your face and eyelashes before bed to stop allergens rubbing onto your pillow and exacerbating symptoms.
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