The Germans are more allergic to nothing than harmless pollen. Itchy eyes, runny nose — about 15 percent of adults in the country suffer from hay fever. And there are more and more. According to experts, this also has to do with the effects of the climate crisis. Many plants such as hazel now not only flower earlier, but also longer – more pollen is also produced. For allergy sufferers, this means shorter closed periods, more suffering. Stiftung Warentest took a look at the over-the-counter hay fever remedies and listed the best and cheapest ones.
Once the pollen is on its way, the outside world becomes an enemy for hay fever allergy sufferers. The pollen settles on clothing, in the hair and in the nose. If you want to protect yourself from nasty surprises, you can find up-to-date forecasts in pollen count calendars. If the pollen load is high, those affected can weigh up whether they dare to go outside or rather try to isolate themselves: close the window and stay inside. Alternatively, pollen protection grids can help. According to Stiftung Warentest, an air purifier is also worth considering.
Since pollen can be brought in from outside, those affected should wash their hair before going to bed and not take off their “outside” clothing in the bedroom. Daily nasal douches with salt water also help to reduce the allergic reaction. This flushes the pollen out of your nose.
If none of this helps, the allergy can be counteracted with medication. Stiftung Warentest has determined the best and cheapest means. The testers recommend a targeted use. These include over-the-counter nasal sprays and eye drops, some of which are preventive only, others are used for acute treatment.
Adults can also use cortisone sprays, which are more effective against hay fever symptoms than tablets or liquids. According to the product test, consumers should ensure that both eye drops and nasal sprays do not contain any preservatives. Antihistamines can be taken for more severe reactions.
Stiftung Warentest has tested over-the-counter medication for hay fever and listed the best, which are also inexpensive. These are the top 5.
Allergy tablets Inexpensive are above all cetirizine tablets for acute treatment. They are already available from three euros, for example from Ceitidex (2.93 euros).
Eye dropsEye drops, which can be used both preventively and for acute treatment, are already available for around six euros, for example Ketotifen Stulln (6.19 euros). The cheapest eye drops for acute treatment are Azela-Vision Sine (5.78 euros).
Nasal SpraysThe cheapest nasal sprays cost about eight euros. Pollicrom (7.97 euros) is used for preventive treatment, while Levocamed (8.28 euros) offers the cheapest option for acute treatment.
You can find the entire test with all recommended hay fever remedies for a fee on test.de.
