Featured Image Credit: ITV
Topics: Health, Hacks, Life Hacks, Life, Real Life
Rhianna Benson
This time of year is usually a source of dread for millions of hay-fever sufferers across the globe - when it's not raining, that is.
Along with the arrival of the summer season usually comes exhaustively high temperatures, a sky-rocket in pollen count and a surge in hay-fever.
As a result, sufferers of this frustrating condition often stock up their medicine cupboards with antihistamines, itch-proof body lotions, eyedrops and, of course, nasal sprays.
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On the subject of hay-fever relief, a handful of This Morning viewers have been left shell-shocked in recent weeks after discovering they've been taking the allergy relief medication wrong their entire lives.
It's true, and only until a health expert named Ella appeared on the show to catch up with hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shepherd did sufferers learn the appropriate way to administer the relief.
"I wanted to ask you a question, actually, about the nasal spray," co-presenter Cat begins the debate. "And how you actually administer it, because I was very much under the illusion that you kind of breathe in, but you said, 'Don't do that'."
"That's right, yes," Ella confirmed. "I have so many families who come to me who've been having all the medications prescribed but they're still not getting any benefit.
"So, if you go with the nasal spray straight up into the nose and sniff, you'll just swallow the steroid into the stomach, which is not going to help you."
Co-host Ben then confirmed: "So, you don't press and inhale?"
"No, no," Ella replied. "You need to - head down, and then you angle the nasal steroid spray towards the side of the nose, and the nasal hairs will then slowly bring it back up where it needs to go.
"And then, you don't sniff. You just hold a little tissue here, if you need to, if there's any that falls out, but most of the time, nothing falls out.
"And that will mean it goes to where it's directed, and it also means that you're much less likely to get nosebleeds."
And apparently, the startling revelation has come as somewhat of a shock to many sufferers of the summer season.
Taking to social media, one confessed: "Nearly 30 and been taking nasal spray wrong for like 15years *opens NHS appointment app* sigh".
"Decades have gone by and only thing I had to do was tilt my head and I could breath??" a second continued.
A third went on to joke: "Imma try these methods if they don’t work I’m taking the good morning lady hostage. I’ve had enough of this hayfever."
Another claimed, however: "Blew my mind that people didn’t know this."