Hay fever: How to stop sneezing at your favourite festivals

Red eyes, a sore throat and feeling tired.

All signs you've had a good couple of days at a festival.

But also something which shows you're one of the many having a rough time with hay fever this summer.

And sitting in a field for three days probably isn't going to help.

Whether you're going to Glastonbury or Glasgow for TRNSMT - we've got you covered on what to do to stop hay fever getting in the way of your favourite headliners.

Trees, tissues and tablets

Sophia Carey has been to more festivals than most - it's her job to photograph the artists.

She loves doing it, but not the "horrendous" allergies that come with it.

Sophia feels her hay fever is getting worse every year, and she's far from the only one thinking it's getting unbearable. According to the NHS, weekly visitors to the site's hay-fever advice pages have tripled in the past five weeks.

Sophia has had hay fever since she was a kid but feels it's getting worse every year

Recent warm weather means pollen levels are high to very high in England, Scotland and Wales.

"At Parklife it was really bad. I was under a load of trees, and I think I'm definitely allergic to what was coming off those," she says.

"You're already uncomfortable from being so hot. You can't even go and wash your face and have a shower, so you need to firm it out."

But Sophia does come prepared to try and counter the pollen attack.

"Having eye drops can help and having your antihistamine beforehand. If I'm working a festival, I won't put makeup on the bottom half of my face so I can wash around my nose and my mouth.

"And tissues! Lots of packs."

A pharmacist's top tips

Nyrah Saleem is a pharmacist and regularly tells her friends about ways to survive music events with bad hay fever.

Her advice?

Well, preparation is key, she says. Start taking your medication at least two weeks before, and when you're at the festival - think about what time you take your medication.

"There are actually two types of medicines - you can take drowsy ones and non-drowsy ones.

"Sometimes tablets can be pretty drowsy for some people, so it might be best if you actually take it the night before rather than first thing in the morning."

Nyrah says she has been giving her top tips to friends who struggle with hay fever during festival season

Nyrah advises bringing a spare, sealed bag to keep your worn clothes - which will likely have pollen on them - separately.

Putting Vaseline under your eyes and nose can be helpful, she says.

Of course, showering at festivals can be tricky - so Nyrah suggests people should consider bringing big bottles of water, so you can wash "your face, your arms and your hands - parts of the skin which really attracts all that pollen".

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And she says you shouldn't take drugs while on hay fever medication.

If you're planning to drink alcohol at a festival, Nyrah advises cutting back, as it can make your symptoms worse - and mixing it with antihistamines can also make you drowsy.

"It's important to minimise where possible and monitor for these side effects," she adds.

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