Hay fever hell? Why this season is hitting harder than ever and what Chinese Medicine says you can do about it
A 2026 report published in The Lancet Public Health Report confirms what millions of hay fever sufferers already suspect: the season is getting longer, with climate change pushing the start of pollen release one to two weeks earlier than it was in the 1990s.
For the 16 million Britons affected, that means more suffering, for longer – and this year, says Katie Brindle, founder of The Hayo’u Method and one of the UK’s most respected voices in Chinese Medicine and Chinese self-healing, three additional pressures are making the body’s response worse than ever.
“Hay fever is always worse when the body is already overwhelmed before pollen season even begins,” says Brindle. “This year, three things are colliding at once. The damp, cold weather followed by sudden heat is deeply confusing for the body. High stress levels – and we know they are at a societal high right now – directly weaken the Lungs, which, in Chinese Medicine, govern the immune system. And as Yang energy rises with the approach of summer, heat and congestion naturally travel upwards in the body, straight to the eyes, nose and throat. For many people, their system was already running on empty. Pollen is simply the thing that tips it over the edge.”
Why Chinese Medicine sees hay fever differently
Nobody who has spent a summer streaming, sneezing and mainlining antihistamines needs convincing that hay fever is miserable. What they're rarely told is that the pollen itself isn't really the problem – it's what their body does with it.
Wei Qi is the Chinese Medicine term for the body's protective energy – in good health, a kind of force field that filters irritants quietly and without drama. Weaken it, and that calm defence tips into something closer to paranoia. The immune system, sensing it's on the back foot, starts attacking anything that comes near. Pollen walks in, and all hell breaks loose.
What depletes Wei Qi? More than most people realise. Grief that hasn't been fully processed. Chronic stress. Poor air quality. Even the way social media makes it almost impossible to truly let go of anything – scrolling back through the past rather than releasing it – puts strain on the Lungs, which govern Wei Qi in Chinese Medicine. Add in a Spleen weakened by irregular meals, late nights and the iced drinks we all reach for the moment the sun appears, and you have a body that was already on the back foot before a single pollen grain arrived.
Six rituals and tips to strengthen your body’s defences:
Tap the body for one to two minutes a day.
Body tapping is a basic principle of Chinese self-care and particularly powerful for hay fever because it works directly on Wei Qi – rebuilding the body’s defensive energy from the inside out. The upper back is the priority area, where the Lungs sit, but in an ideal world, you tap the whole body. “Put some music on and just go for it,” says Brindle. “The stronger your Lungs become, the less reactive you are. It sounds almost too simple, but it genuinely works.”
Breathe through a Himalayan salt inhaler for one to two minutes a day. Dating back to the 12th century, halotherapy's principle is disarmingly simple: breathe slowly through a ceramic pipe packed with Himalayan salt crystals, and the body begins to respond. The salt clears the airways and dries up excess mucus, while the resistance of the pipe itself forces the breath to slow to roughly half its normal speed, which in turn slows the heart rate, quietens the kidneys and dials down the entire stress response. “It also naturally slows your breath,” says Brindle, “which calms the nervous system and reduces inflammation – so you’re supporting the root cause and relieving the symptoms at the same time. If you do one thing, make it this.”
Soothe the face with a chilled Gua Sha stone. Store the Hayo’u Jade Beauty Gua Sha in the fridge, then warm a few drops of facial oil (Hayo’u Beauty Face Oil) in your palms before using the stone around the eyes, sinuses and jawline to draw heat and inflammation out of the body. “Cooling jade is especially effective because it immediately helps calm irritation,” says Brindle. “For watery eyes, congestion and that heavy, foggy feeling in the head and throat, this is the thing I reach for first.”
Food for the spleen
The single biggest dietary mistake during hay fever season, says Brindle, is reaching for cold food and drinks the moment the sun comes out. In Chinese Medicine, the Spleen governs both digestion and immune regulation – and it actively dislikes cold. Salads, smoothies, iced drinks, ice cream: all the things that feel virtuous or refreshing in warm weather are quietly working against the very organ responsible for keeping the immune response in check. Warm, cooked food – a soup, a stir-fry, anything that takes the chill off – makes the Spleen’s job easier and the body’s reactions calmer.
Movement as medicine
One of Katie's more surprising recommendations is to get outside at around 5am - ideally near nature - for a walk. It sounds extreme until she explains the reasoning: in Chinese Medicine, 5 to 7am is large intestine time on the energy clock, and the large intestine has a deep relationship with the Lungs. Strengthening one strengthens the other. For those for whom 5am is a step too far, the Qigong practice of turning at the waist delivers similar benefits and can be done anywhere. Between 11am and 1pm, when Yang energy peaks outside, Brindle recommends a 20-minute rest or meditation - what she calls "a circuit breaker for the entire body."
Acupressure: the final layer
For those wanting to go further, five acupressure points are particularly associated with hay fever in Chinese Medicine — each pressed for around a minute daily with gentle circular movements. Their names alone hint at the tradition behind them: Gathered Bamboo to calm the eyes, Upper Star for the eyes and nose, Hall of Impression to clear heat, Supreme Stream to reduce sneezing, and Welcome Fragrance to clear mucus and congestion.
“Hay fever is so much more than an inconvenient allergy. In Chinese Medicine, it’s a message from your body that something deeper needs attention. We’ve become used to allowing other people to take command when there’s a problem – rather than leaning into our body’s own innate ability to heal itself. The good news is that the tools to do exactly that are simple, free and available to everyone. When you work with your body rather than just suppressing its symptoms, the difference can be remarkable.”
For listeners curious about the deeper Chinese Medicine perspective behind hay fever, Katie explores the subject further in her podcast, Own Your Health.
Own Your Health podcast
In her five-star rated podcast Own Your Health, Katie explores the picture in even more depth – tracing how grief, social media’s interference with the process of letting go, city air quality and inherited lung weakness can all quietly erode Wei Qi over time, leaving the body primed to overreact long before the first pollen count of the season. “It’s not just the pollen,” she says. “It’s your body’s reaction to it. That’s the bit we need to understand.” The episode is available on all major platforms and at katiebrindle.com/own-your-health-pod.
Free hay fever guide
For anyone wanting a practical reference to return to throughout the season, Katie has produced a free downloadable guide, Katie’s Prescription for Hay Fever, that distils her framework, rituals, and acupressure points into a single resource. Available at katiebrindle.com/discover-by-condition
For more information visit hayoumethod.com or follow @thehayoumethod (instagram) / @thehayoumethod (Tiktok)
For Katie Brindle, visit katiebrindle.com or follow @katie_brindle (Instagram) / @katie_brindle (TikTok)
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Hayo'u Method:
Hayo'u is a Chinese phrase that translates to "Well You". The Hayo'u Method is a programme of self-care techniques based on Chinese medicine that aims to help people heal themselves.
Founded by Katie Brindle the methods involve more than just beauty rituals, they also incorporate mindfulness and deeper learning for all-round wellbeing.
About Katie Brindle:
A Forbes-recognised wellness authority and Amazon No.1 bestselling author, Katie Brindle has spent more than two decades translating the ancient wisdom of Chinese medicine for modern life.
As author of Yang Sheng – The Art of Chinese Self Healing, and founder of the Hayo’u Method, the UK’s original, multi award-winning gua sha and wellness tool specialists, she has built a global community united by one goal: to make better health achievable for everyone. Hayo’u’s tools and teachings are grounded in ancient tradition yet designed for the pace of today – offering better beauty, better health, a better body and a better mind.
With more than 2.5 million followers across social media, podcast and newsletter platforms, Katie leads a wellness movement that values clarity over chaos and balance over burnout.
Why is hay fever worse this year? Further details
Katie points to an intersection of pressures that have left many people's systems depleted well before pollen season got underway. In Chinese Medicine, a body that arrives at spring already running low is far more likely to overreact to pollen – and this year, the conditions for exactly that have been unusually pronounced.
Erratic weather. The contrast between cold, damp conditions and sudden warmth is deeply destabilising for the body, depleting its reserves and making it harder to adapt.
High stress levels. Stress directly weakens the Lungs, which in Chinese Medicine are responsible for the immune system and govern Wei Qi (protective energy). A stressed, depleted body is an overreactive body.
Rising Yang energy. As summer approaches, Yang energy – associated with heat, activity and upward movement – naturally rises in the body. For those already prone to heat and congestion, this pushes symptoms upward into the eyes, nose and throat.
Further detail on tips and rituals:
Himalayan salt inhaler. A simple ceramic pipe containing Himalayan salt crystals, through which the user slowly breathes for one to two minutes. Halotherapy has been used since the 12th century to boost respiratory health. The salt helps clear the airways and dry excess mucus; slow breathing calms the nervous system and naturally reduces inflammation. Available via The Hayo’u Method at hayoumethod.com.
Body tapping. Tapping the body – ideally using a bamboo body tapper to reach the upper back properly – for one to two minutes to strengthen Wei Qi, boost circulation and support lung function. The upper back is a priority area, as this is where the Lungs sit. Available via The Hayo’u Method at hayoumethod.com.
Cooling Gua Sha. A jade Gua Sha stone stored in the fridge and used in gentle strokes around the eyes, sinuses and jawline. Jade is remarkably effective due to its naturally cooling properties. Helps relieve watery eyes, congestion, irritation and the heavy sensation in the head and throat. Body Gua Sha on the chest simultaneously supports the Lungs and helps reduce systemic inflammation. Available via The Hayo’u Method at hayoumethod.com.
Food, drink and movement
The Spleen, central to both digestion and immune balance in Chinese Medicine, is sensitive to cold. Cold foods and iced drinks – common in summer – can weaken the Spleen and worsen hay fever symptoms. Katie recommends warm, cooked foods such as soups and stir-fries, regular mealtimes and avoiding late-night eating to support Spleen function. For movement, the traditional Qigong practice of turning at the waist strengthens the digestive system; even gentle daily movement improves circulation and calms the nervous system, leaving the body more resilient and less reactive to pollen.
Acupressure points for hay fever relief
Acupressure is Katie's fourth tool, and for many people, the one that finally shifts stubborn symptoms. Each point links to the organs and pathways most involved in hay fever – press them daily, for at least a minute each, using gentle circular movements with a fingertip, chopstick or, ideally, an acupressure tool such as the Hayo’u Bian Stone, and over time you start to feel the difference. The points Katie works with are:
Bladder 2 (Gathered Bamboo) – to calm and clear the eyes.
DU-23 (Upper Star) – to clear the eyes and nose.
M-HN-3 (Hall of Impression) – to clear heat from the body.
Kidney 3 (Supreme Stream) – to reduce sneezing.
Large Intestine 20 (Welcome Fragrance) – to eliminate mucus and congestion.