It's getting to that time of year that hayfever sufferers dread. Along with the beautiful warm weather, comes the unwelcome increase in pollen, which we could frankly do without. Alternatively, you might be struggling with a pet allergy - which can develop after years of being around a cat or dog with no previous ill effects. That is what happened to me - one summer I started with hayfever as if from nowhere, and got a cat allergy to boot. Giving up our cat was not an option - not after 6 precious years together, so I looked for other solutions.

My doctor recommended oral steroids and strong antihistimines. These helped initially, but over time they had less control over my allergies, and I began to feel miserable and struggled to breathe when I was home for any amount of time. Then I saw a newspaper article on the Medinose and did some searching online for it. The Medinose, if you don't know, is a natural anti-allergy device - it looks a little like an ipod, and has two small prongs that you gently insert into your nostrils. (It isn't uncomfortable, they are made of smooth plastic). These prongs emit a natural red light ray which has been proven to desensitise your whole body to your allergy triggers. Anyway, although it sounds like something from a science fiction film, this tiny white box actually works amazingly well - and for most people it brings instant relief.

I'll always be grateful that I found the Medinose as it made my cat allergy super managable - something I never expected as previously the medicines I took had pretty much stopped working. "Medinose" has since been replaced by the newer version, Medinose Plus, which is supposed to be even more effective. Treatments take less than 5 minutes, and you use the device 2 or 3 times a day. The treatment is so gentle it is recommended for children too. So if you suffer with allergies too, or your hayfever is likely to get you down this summer, it's a good idea to try out a Medinose and see if it can bring you relief.