Kind of Sign of Spring in Modern Japan

How many times have you spent spring time in Japan? Is it the first time? You might have been surprised at a strange sight; a bunch of people who are wearing a mask or suffering from running nose though they don’t catch a cold, etc. They have a hay fever, which is pollen allergies, and it has become kind of spring tradition in modern Japan lately. If you stay in Japan longer, you might be suffering from it or would have a chance of it soon, too. Here is some advice to survive this illness.

Major Symptoms of Hay Fever

Hay fever in spring is caused by pollen of cedar and hinoki (Japanese cypress). There are 4 major symptoms; sneeze, running nose, stuffy nose, and itching eyes, and the symptom varies by individuals. For example, some people are especially suffering from running nose, and others are suffering from the only stuffy nose. Therefore, some people are also troubled with rough skin like an itch, rash, etc. To protect from them, there are several medicine and skin care products, and you should choose the best one for you.

Measures You Can Do By Yourself

It is common in Japan that people are wearing mask increases in number from winter to spring. Especially in spring, most of them definitely have hay fever and the mask is the easiest measures to against it. In any other case, you may take medicine for rhinitis, nasal spray, eye lotion for allergies, skin cream, etc. Moreover, you may also go to an otolaryngologist and get a prescription drug. However, when you take medicine for rhinitis, you need to pay attention to side effects; headache, dry membrane, etc. If it becomes severe, you should stop doing it and try another way.

The Ultimate Weapon for Hay Fever

Do you know there is an ultimate weapon for hay fever? It is said that petroleum jelly shows an effect on it. It is so easy to use; apply it in nostrils by cotton swab. Actually, the writer also has allergic rhinitis but can’t take medicine, and survives it by petroleum jelly. Because the jelly stays on the membrane and doesn’t percolate through it, it blocks an invasion of pollen. It is okay to apply both on eyes and nose membrane, but you need to do it again every 3 or 4 hours.

Yuko

Japan