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How To Deal With Hay Fever in Japan

By Guidable Writers Mar 5, 2020

This post is also available in: Italian

It’s that time of year again! Spring is hard for people in Japan suffering from hay fever! Do you have any allergies, or do you suffer from hay fever? Hay fever is also spreading around Japan, especially during the spring season from February to May.
If you have hay fever in Japan and have already started suffering from certain allergy symptoms such as a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing already, you’d better check this article to get the effective methods right away.

Hay Fever Appears All Year Round in Japan

There are many kinds of pollen in Japan throughout the year. You may have the impression that people in Japan only suffer from hay fever in the spring, but they suffer from hay fever throughout the year, the culprit depends on the season.

Here are the major pollen season details such as follows:

Major Pollen in Spring

sugi hay fever spring

Major pollen:Cedar pollen
Pollen dispersal term:February to April
Area: All prefectures except Hokkaido and Okinawa

Major pollen:Cypress pollen
Pollen dispersal term:March to May
Area: All prefectures except Hokkaido and Okinawa

Cedar pollen is the most amount of pollen type that 70% of people in Japan suffer from. They suffer from this type of pollen every year.
It may be difficult to tell if people are suffering from a cold or hay fever during this season but one thing you can use to distinguish is coughing. People don’t cough from hay fever.

Major Pollen in Summer Season

Major pollen:Birch pollen
Pollen dispersal term:April to June
Area: Mainly in Hokkaido

Major pollen:Rice pollen
Pollen dispersal term:May to June
Area: All prefectures except Hokkaido and Okinawa

Some people in Hokkaido suffer from hay fever from birch pollen every year. Related to this hay fever, some people may have an allergic reaction if they eat apples in this season.

Major Pollen in Autumn Season

Major pollen:Mugwort pollen
Pollen dispersal term:August to October
Area: All prefectures except Hokkaido and Okinawa

Major pollen:Japanese hop pollen
Pollen dispersal term:August to October
Area: All prefectures except Hokkaido and Okinawa

People suffering from Japanese hop pollen, may have allergy symptoms if they eat watermelon or cantaloupe in this season.

Major Pollen in Winter Season

Major pollen:Canada goldenrod pollen
Pollen dispersal term:October to December
Area: All prefectures except Hokkaido and Okinawa

Not so many people suffer from hay fever during the winter season, but it may be devastating for those who do.

How Can I Relieve Relieve the Symptoms?

It’s amazing to know that people suffer from hay fever throughout the year in Japan right? The most popular hay fever season is spring in Japan but how do we relieve the symptoms?

There are some simple effective methods you must check such as follows:

1. Wear A Mask!

If you wear a mask, you cover up your nose and prevent pollen from entering your nose! For people with hay fever, one of the terrible condition is “sneezing” from the pollen. Not only sneezing, but a runny nose completes the devastating picture.

Now that everyone is wearing masks, this seems like a silly suggestion but it’s good to know that the masks help us not only with COVID-19 but also hay fever!

2. Hang up Your Washing Inside or Use a Dryer

When you wash your laundry on sunny days, you want to hang up your laundry outside. Sunshine is the most economic drying methods for laundry. However, during hay fever season, it is better to hang your clothes inside or use a dryer, if you have one.

Since pollen is in the air everywhere, it will also stick to your laundry or anything you put outside. After you dry your laundry outside and bring it back inside, the pollen will transfer to your house and you will suffer from hay fever even at home.

Even though it’s a waste not to hang your laundry outside when it’s good weather, this could help you avoid some hay fever symptoms.

3. Keep a Regular Routine

It’s very important to keep your regular routine, especially in the hay fever season. You will suffer from worse symptoms if you’re having the following life style:

・Lack of sleep
・Drinking alcohol too much
・Feeling stress all the time
・Forgoing washing hands and gargling

Everybody is busy with their schedule every day but it is good to care about yourselves more especially in hay fever season in order not to weaken your immune system.

4. Try These Natural Remedies

Many Japanese people try the following to relieve hay fever symptoms:

・Eating yogurt for lactic acid bacteria production that aids in a better immune system
・Drinking camomile or green tea that can control the symptoms of allergy

These simple items such as yogurt and green tea are something you can get easy in Japan so why not try them?

Are You Prepared to Deal With Hay Fever in Japan?

If you’re suffering from hay fever in Japan, we hope this article helps with your symptoms.

In hay fever season, many people feel irritated or tired of the symptoms such as a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing, but there are methods to control and relieve the symptoms.