Watery eyes, tingly nose and constant sneezing; hayfever has consistent power to ruin your day, but it is possible to get an injection for the allergy that could put a stop to the sniffling.
TikTok user Sian Lord sang her praises for the injection in a post on the platform after hearing about the another user, Bobbi Williams, having also received the jab.
Sian herself received the Kenalog jab; a treatment which is available to over 18s and which can 'reduce symptoms of hay-fever for the entire season', according to Midland Health.
Advert
The jab was previously offered on the NHS to severe hayfever sufferers, but has since fallen out of favour and is no longer available through the health service as their guidelines determined the potential risks do not justify the benefits.
A 2019 review of the treatment by the UK Medicines Information recommended the Kenalog jab should not be used due to a 'paucity of comparative studies'.
Sian decided to get the injection after other treatments proved useless against her symptoms, saying: "Every year, I kid you not, since the age of 12 - I'm now 33; every symptom every single year, it's never got any easier, it's almost got worse as I've got older."
The TikToker acknowledged there can be side effects to the injection but said she personally has 'never felt any of them', and praised the treatment for having 'saved' her when she first had it done last year.
Advert
"Hayfever tablets don't work, nasal spray, eye drops - I can't stress enough that you need to go and get it done... I promise you, you won't regret it," Sian said.
Kenalog is a steroid injection, and can be used as a way to treat 'severe hayfever' when alternative treatments have failed.
The Glenfield Surgery explains: "Each Kenalog injection contains Triamcinolone acetonide 40mg/1ml as the active ingredient.
Advert
"Triamcinolone acetonide belongs to a group of medicines called corticosteroids (steroids). The principal effect of corticosteroids is to reduce the body’s inflammatory & allergic response and they are used very commonly for many serious medical conditions."
Possible side-effects of the treatment include anaphylactic allergic reactions, which may be evident in swelling of the face, lips or throat, breathing difficulties, skin itching, redness or a rash, as well as increased risk of infections, and pain and skin colour changes or dimpling of skin at the injection site.
Steroid injections in general can also have side-effects such as mood changes, indigestion, eye issues, anxiety and hearing or seeing things that do not exist.
Advert
On top of these potential side effects, GP Dr James Cave warned anyone considering the jab that it works by suppressing the body's immune system.
He told BBC Radio 4 back in 2013: "For three weeks after having the injection your immune system is suppressed, which means you are seriously at risk of infections like chicken pox and measles.
"Likewise if you have a serious illness or a road traffic accident, you may not be able to cope with the stress, with Kenalog suppressing your own stress reactions."
Not everyone with hayfever will require the injection, as The Glenfield Surgery explains only about 10 percent of people who struggle with the allergy fail to find relief in 'conventional, easily available treatments' such as anti-histamine tablets.
Advert
If you happen to fall into this 10 percent, though, the surgery explains 'many of these people consider a Kenalog injection to help them get through the season'.
The NHS recommends steroid nasal sprays, and failing that immunotherapy, to treat hayfever.