As a teacher, waking up with a stuffy nose and general lethargy, I recall the sick kid who wanted to ask me a question but instead expelled some sort of alien slime from his nostrils, across the room in my general direction. Great, another cold to deal with, only this one isn’t clearing up with the non-existent prescribed rest, or grandmother’s recipe chicken soup. A glance at the calendar and it strikes me – the dreaded hay fever season has begun.
Anyone who has lived in Japan long enough and has acclimatized to the pollen bombardment (which seems to be starting earlier each year), has experienced firsthand or through the joyful chorus of nasal sniffing, the overall misery that is hay fever – kafunshō (花粉症) in Japanese.
Hay fever season can start anywhere from February to April – depending on what you may be allergic to. These are the two biggest culprits.
Sugi allergy (cedar) February – April
Hinoki allergy (cypress) March – May
Yep – right when you want to be outside enjoying the cherry blossom season too!
What to expect at the ENT
Whilst there are a variety of over the counter medications available at your local drugstore, you may actually find it more cost effective in the long run to visit an ENT clinic.
The process is relatively simple even with minimal Japanese, however, be prepared for the nasal cleanse at the end of each visit – a hose stuck up your nose pumping steam for a full minute usually accompanied by a nurse/ doctor/ other patient asking “Where are you from?” – the hose not being quite long enough to be able to turn your head to answer with eye contact, sending dripping nose steam down your front.
ENTs will often prescribe a mix of tablets, nasal depositories and eye drops depending on your symptoms. Please ask the staff to clearly explain what each medicine is for, and how and when they should be administered.
Helpful Japanese
I
have itchy eyes – 目がかゆいです。 (me ga kayui desu)
I have a runny nose – 鼻水が出ます。 (hanamizu
ga demasu)
I have a blocked nose – 鼻がつまっています。 (hana ga
tsumatteimasu)
Please save me from this misery – どうにかしたいです。何とかしたいです。(dounika
shitai desu nantoka shitai desu)
At your first visit, the ENT may only prescribe a month’s worth or less of medicine to see how your body reacts and will ask you to come back for a follow up visit. If all is well, the ENT can prescribe enough medicine to see you through the next few months of misery.
Other options to guard yourself against the pollen beside medicine are:
Flu mask/face mask
Masks are always handy, especially if you are suffering from an embarrassing nose dripping situation. At the time of writing this article, face masks were in short supply due to coronavirus (COVID-19). If a face mask isn’t for you (and like me you have to choose between nose coverage or fogged up glasses), maybe try some alternative remedies.
Hay fever spray
This year I’ve started trialing hay fever spray. I figured I’d give anything a try to save me from this misery. The idea is that you spray it on your face and hair, avoiding eyes. The positive ions are supposed to help deflect pollen particles from entering your body and resting on your hair. So far I have enjoyed the cooling effect and it does seem to be making a slight difference. For those into beauty, certain sprays are also advertised to have skin benefits and will not disturb makeup. Hay fever sprays can be found at your local drugstore and even some convenience stores for around ¥600 – ¥1500.
Anti-pollen glasses
A less glamorous way to combat hay fever is to wear special goggles – anti-pollen glasses. These glasses completely cover the eye area and form a barrier to stop pollen from entering.
In recent years, these type of goggles have become less conspicuous but I for one am too chicken to take that fashion risk. Anti-pollen glasses can be found cheaply at pharmacies, or for a little extra, special coated glasses can be found on the Rakuten Japan website (https://global.rakuten.com/en/category/403675/) starting around ¥1500 a pair. These coated ones actually decompose pollen allergens, germs, and viruses on contact.
An air purifier
One of the frustrations of hay fever season, is that even if you try your best to avoid direct contact with the pollen, you can still suffer the effects hibernating indoors. Pollen, dust and allergens will still find a sneaky way in, either on clothes that you’ve hung out to dry or by ventilation fans.
One way to combat this is to buy an air purifier. This is the most expensive recommendation on this list but something to keep in mind if you also suffer from sinus infections. Air purifiers require filters. The type of air purifier you have will dictate how often you need to clean and or replace the filter.
Deals can often be found on amazon.jp, but before choosing the cheapest option, consider the reach of the air purifier in your apartment/house, how much it will cost to run, and how often you will need to change the filter.
Pollen forecasts
Pollen forecast on the news, on the TV screens in some train carriages, and on the Yahoo weather app, can help you decide the days when it’s best to just stay indoors.
Other suggestions
These recommendations fall into the ‘I’ll give it a try because nothing else is working’ category.
Probiotics has been hailed as a way to reduce the immune system reaction to pollen. In particular look for Lactobacillus casei – found in Yakult – and Bifidobacterium longum – found in kimchi.
Marmalade on toast – particularly marmalade with pieces of orange skin – is another old wives’ tale remedy. Or enjoy snacking on kumquats (kinkan) – eat them whole, skin and all.
I hope this article has helped you prepare for and cope with hay fever in Japan. If you have any suggestions or advice on how you deal with the pollen onslaught, please comment below.
Photo by Hans Braxmeier on Pixabay.
