Blue skies, warm days, freshly mown grass - these are signs summer is fast approaching. But LUCY STEPHENS finds this time of year also brings misery for sufferers of that annual fit of the sneezes, hay fever...

RUNNY nose, streaming eyes at uncontrollable sneezing fits - this time of year these symptoms are a fact of life for the millions of British people who suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever.

Today marks the end of National Allergy Week - an annual health campaign run by Allergy UK to raise awareness of allergies, their symptoms and causes.

The way to deal with most allergies - common ones include peanuts and cats - is simply to avoid whatever triggers them.

But hay fever, which generally happens during spring and summer, is an allergy to grass or hay pollens - and exposure is hard to avoid.

When the body comes into contact with pollen, cells on the lining of the nose release a chemical called histamine, which triggers the hay fever reaction. Research has also shown that family members of sufferers often have asthma of eczema.

Local homeopath Drinna Ferrer explains that the condition is seasonal, with trigger allergens following this pattern:

March-April: tree pollen

May-June: flowers and bushes

June-August: grasses

Autumn: moulds, spores, fungus, wild flowers

Although hay fever can be a real problem for sufferers, there are many different treatments on the market which can be very effective in keeping the condition under control.

David Gill and Hazel Marsden - chairman and secretary of the Local Pharmaceutical Committee for North Yorkshire - say the best thing to do is to discuss your symptoms with a pharmacist.

"It's an individual thing," says Heather. "It depends on what other medications you're on. Some people need eye drops, some need tablets. There isn't a cure for it, all you can do is treat the symptoms."

Drinna says it is also a good idea to look at natural ways to manage the condition.

"Homoeopaths have worked out various programmes for hay fever sufferers," she says.

"However, programmes begin in September to November, and involve taking a particular sequence of remedies that prepares your body for the following spring. Contact your local homoeopath to address hay fever in the autumn."

You can phone Drinna at 05600 433802.

How to tackle hay fever

HOMEOPATH Drinna Ferrer suggests the following natural remedies may help - taken as supplements or more cheaply in common fruit and vegetables:

Soothing, anti-inflammatory bromelain, found in pineapples

Onions, chives, leeks, shallots, garlic, apples, grapefruit and red wine contain quertin, a bioflavanoid (a substance that protects plants from harm) and antioxidant

Coenzyme Q10 has anti-histamine properties, and is in tuna, mackerel, beef, soy, wheat germ and rice

Slices of cool cucumber or used tea bags can calm down irritated eyes

Chamomile tea can reduce the allergic reaction

Honey made from local bees that feed on nearby pollen can help build up a better tolerance to local pollens.

Updated: 11:59 Friday, May 19, 2006