An pressing warning has been issued to hay fever victims, as consultants urge them to keep away from buying unlicensed medicine akin to Kenalog on-line.
A current survey carried out by the Nationwide Pharmacy Affiliation (NPA) revealed that 45 per cent of pharmacies have seen a rise in queries concerning the drug, which isn’t licensed to deal with hay fever within the UK.
The warning comes as pharmacies report a major rise in sufferers looking for assist for hay fever signs since early April.
Hay fever is extremely frequent. Certainly, an estimated 16 million individuals endure from the allergy within the UK, in response to the Natasha Allergy Analysis Basis.
A standard symptom of hay fever is itchy, crimson or watery eyes
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Signs, which embody sneezing and coughing; a runny or blocked nostril; itchy, crimson or watery eyes; itchy throat, mouth, nostril and ears; lack of odor; ache across the sides of your head and your brow; headache; and feeling drained, will be debilitating.
Consequently, many are eager to alleviate discomfort by any means essential, particularly as they sometimes worsen between late March and September, when pollen depend is at its highest.
Nonetheless, the NPA warned that medicines from unregulated sellers akin to magnificence salons and social media websites might “pose a risk” to sufferers’ security.
These drugs may very well be “fake, swapped for other medication” or fail to “meet UK safety and quality standards”.
Frequent unwanted effects of Kenalog – administered by injection – can embody “joint pain, headaches, injection site reactions and increased risk of infection”.
Extra unusual unwanted effects embody “serious mental health problems”, in response to the NPA.
The NPA pressured that hay fever signs “can be treated quickly and easily” in native pharmacies, “with no need to see a GP or buy medication from unregulated sources”.
NPA chair Olivier Picard stated: “We are urging people to avoid using unlicensed treatments, which could pose a serious risk to their health, and instead speak with their pharmacist about other options for managing hay fever symptoms.”
“Kenalog is not licensed in the UK for the treatment of hay fever, and we are clear that patients should not seek it online or request it from their community pharmacy,” he added.
Olivier pressured the significance of utilizing “licensed medications”, citing antihistamine tablets, nasal sprays, and eye drops as credible choices, in dialog with the BBC.
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A runny or blocked nostril is one other symptom of hay fever
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He added that victims ought to converse to their pharmacist about how you can fight signs.
The NHS has detailed steerage on hay fever, together with causes, signs, and the dos and don’ts for treating the frequent situation.
Easy methods to deal with hay fever
- Put petroleum jelly (akin to Vaseline) round your nostrils to lure pollen
- Put on wraparound sun shades, a masks or a wide-brimmed hat to cease pollen moving into your nostril and eyes
- Bathe and alter your garments after you might have been outdoors to scrub pollen off
- Hold home windows and doorways shut as a lot as potential
- Vacuum usually and dirt with a moist fabric
- Attempt to use a pollen filter within the air vents of your automobile, when you have one, and a HEPA filter in your vacuum cleaner
