I have now had almost 2 years of  immunology desensitisation  treatment for the relief of the dreaded hay fever and the signs are good.

I have suffered with hay fever all my life but managed to control it firstly with steroid injections and then oral steroid medication. When my GP became reluctant to continue prescribing steroids due to their long-term side effects, I had to find an alternative and after speaking to a friend about possible remedies I was determined to apply for the desensitisation injections. After some initial allergy tests, there was no doubt that my hay fever was severe enough to be put forward for this treatment and I was accepted onto the programme.

This treatment involves me being injected with a controlled dose of slow-release pollen at regular intervals throughout a 3-year period with the objective that my body learns to fight the enemy and gradually builds up immunity.

I have to say that having hay fever injections when there is 6″ of snow on the ground or when it is pouring with rain is a bit bizarre but sitting in the garden, walking through the open fields in the evening (peak time for the pollen to drift down once the wind drops) and playing golf during what has already been a season for high pollen counts without any symptoms whatsoever, it doesn’t matter. I appear to be free from the awful itchy, runny, swollen red eyes, sore nose and throat and tickly cough at long last.

I still take anti-histamines and a nasal spray to make sure there is no recurrence of the symptoms but thankfully I am fine.

I am now hoping for a long, hot summer instead of a wet, cold one!

Daily Telegraph-Hay fever sufferers know your enemy photographs

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