Outdoor sports with pollen allergy?

Who has strong complaints, can hardly breathe by the hay fever and swollen and reddened eyes or even an allergic conjunctivitis (conjunctivitis) has, should rather "sit out" the acute pollen flight phase in closed rooms, and/or meanwhile on indoor kinds of sport switch. Because who gets by the pollen load by the nose hardly air, breathes with the sport forcibly predominantly by the mouth in and out. Thus the

Pollen arrive into the lower airways and can lead there to allergic asthma. In such cases, there is definitely a danger to health.

But in principle, sport is beneficial for the immune system. Whether sport is meaningful outdoors during the pollen season, however, depends strongly on the

expression of the hay fever symptoms. Who must sneeze only now and then and feels fit despite allergy, can train quite outside - finally the movement in the fresh air keeps fit.

If the hay fever symptoms are manageable, there are still some things to consider when exercising outdoors.

Here are a few tips on how outdoor sports are possible despite pollen allergies:

• Avoid heavy loads and prefer to exercise moderately during the hay fever season. Light jogging, walking, cycling or swimming keeps you fit and strengthens the lungs without putting too much strain on the body. The body is already under enough stress due to the allergy. Intensive stress training could therefore be counterproductive and even intensify the allergy.
• Also avoid the allergens that trigger hay fever in you. With a birch pollen allergy the running round through the coniferous forest is suitable, around mixed forests you rather make a wide circle. With a grass pollen allergy, however, meadows and fields are not exactly the best place for outdoor sports.
• Take a look at the pollen calendar. There you can read the acute pollen flight phase. In the few weeks of the main bloom you prefer to exercise indoors as a precaution. If the pollen concentration in the air subsides, you can do outdoor sports again.
• The early bird catches the worm, this also applies to sports with hay fever. Because early in the morning fly in the city not yet so many pollen through the air. The same applies to evenings in the countryside. So if you absolutely do not want to do without outdoor sports, start right in the morning at 6 am or after work from 7 pm.
• Use the rainy days. Admittedly, in rainy weather, it probably draws no one quite outside. But after a long rain shower, the air is pure and you can breathe freely. However, be careful during a short summer thunderstorm: a short rain shower swirls up the pollen.
• Follow the weather forecast. Here, the pollen load is announced daily as information for allergy sufferers. If the forecast announces sun and wind, stronger discomfort outdoors is to be expected, as the allergens fly around more in the air. Move your training on such days rather indoors.
• To protect the eyes from the pollen while jogging or cycling, large glasses that are closed all around are suitable.
• In acute symptoms help nasal sprays and eye drops, which you can apply before sports. The active ingredient azelastine, for example, contained in Pollival® nasal spray and Pollival® eye drops, is an antihistamine that stops the allergic reaction. A simple way to be able to do outdoor sports despite mild hay fever. Note for competitive athletes: find out in advance which drugs are on the doping list so that there is no rude awakening afterwards.
• If you need medication or an asthma inhaler, you should never go outside for sports without your emergency kit.
• After exercise, the following applies: change clothes and thoroughly wash your hair, so as not to take the pollen from outside to inside.

Whoever suffers from a strong allergy, should generally consult with the doctor. He can prescribe a therapy with, for example, antihistamine tablets. In the long term, a specific immunotherapy (SIT), a so-called hypo- or desensitization is also worthwhile. Then sport in the free one is soon also with Pollenflug no more torment.

There are enough indoor sports with which you can keep fit during the hay fever season. Strength training in the gym, swimming in the indoor pool, group courses in the sports club - there are many alternatives to bridge the critical hay fever phase.

The main flowering period, during which allergy symptoms are at their worst, usually lasts only a few weeks. As soon as the pollen concentration subsides again, most allergy sufferers can once again exercise outdoors without symptoms.