Gin and tonic could help sooth hay fever symptoms

The last couple of weeks have not been kind on hay fever sufferers with pollen levels being particularly high last week.

But it is not all doom and gloom, in fact if you are a fan of having a glass of gin and tonic on the weekend then you could be better for your hay fever than other alcoholic drinks.

A study by Asthma UK found that more than 64 per cent of asthma sufferers claim that alcoholic drinks trigger their symptoms, while 61 per cent admitted they started wheezing after drinking alcohol and over half said they experienced a tight chest and shortness of breath.

With red wine, white wine, beer and cider being identified as the drinks that cause asthma sufferers to experience symptoms.

Asthma UK say this is because certain types of booze contain different levels of histamines and sulphites, these chemicals can be triggers the symptoms for allergies, such as hay fever, and asthma.

Histamine is the same substance that’s released in the body when you have an allergic reaction. In some people, the histamine in alcohol drinks may trigger asthma symptoms.

Darker, fermented drinks like red wine and beer are higher in histamines, while cider and white wine contain higher levels of sulphites.

But it is not all bad news for asthma sufferers, clear spirits such as vodka and gin are actually both low in histamines and sulphites. So if you find yourself experiencing hay fever or asthma symptoms after drink beer, wine or cider, Astham UK say gin and vodka may be a better option.

While it won’t cure you of hay fever or asthma, having a G&T isn’t as likely to trigger your symptoms as other drinks.

If you do suffer from asthma, the charity also warns you to make sure you take your reliever inhaler with you when you go for a night on the town and also to make sure that your friends or colleagues know what to do if you start experiencing an asthma attack.