Can flowers trigger seasonal allergies? No! For pollen to cause an allergy, it needs to meet three criteria – small, light and carried by the wind.

The pollen in flowers is actually quite large and is distributed by insects.

This means that flower pollen is not in the air and does not get into our eyes and nose.

On the other hand, pollen from trees, weeds and grass meet these three criteria.

flower pollen is not in the air and does not get into our eyes and nose

This type of pollen can easily travel 80km, so your allergy can be caused by a tree on the other side of the island.

Another myth is that taking local honey helps prevent seasonal allergies. While honey is great for helping with symptoms such as soothing an itchy, scratchy throat, there is no evidence to support that honey can prevent a seasonal allergy.

One solid piece of advice is to talk to your doctor and start premedication prior to the beginning of the seasonal allergy. Although climate change makes it harder to predict when a season is about to start, you can keep notes and use the indications for the following year.