Hay fever

Hay fever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, affects around 20% of people in the UK and is mainly caused by grass pollen.

According to John Collard, clinical director of Allergy UK, hay fever is an allergy caused when the body makes antibodies in response to certain triggers, such as pollen.

Although it's more common in children and, particularly, teenagers, you can develop hay fever at any age.

The syptoms usually include sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, and stuffy nose.

What causes hay fever?

In Britain, hay fever is mainly caused by grass pollen. Increasingly, tree and shrub pollen, mould spores and weeds cause it too.

The pollens that cause hay fever vary from person to person and region to region. The amount of pollen in the air will affect how bad your hay fever is.

There's more likely to be more pollen in the air on hot, dry, windy days than on cool, damp, rainy days. Research shows that pollution, such as cigarette smoke or car exhaust fumes, also makes some allergies worse.

The time of year at which people begin to experience hay fever symptoms varies depending on the types of pollen they're allergic to. Trees start to release their pollen in April, grasses in mid-June, and weeds and certain shrubs in late summer.

The hay fever season can last from April to October, and some people could have symptoms as early as March. Therefore, some people may only have two or three months without symptoms in the winter before the cycle starts again.

How can you reduce the risk of getting hay fever?

If you live in Britain, you've got around a 20% chance of developing hay fever. If your parents are allergic to something, you're more likely to develop an allergy (it doesn’t have to be the same allergy as your parents).

If you smoke while you're pregnant and around your child, your child could be more likely to develop an allergy. Not smoking and eating a healthy diet can limit the chances of passing on the tendency to your children.

Other tips

Avoiding exposure to pollen is the best way to reduce the allergic symptoms of hay fever. To limit your exposure to pollens, keep windows shut at night and first thing in the morning, stay indoors when the pollen count is high (between 50 and 150) and wear wraparound sunglasses. Putting some petroleum jelly just inside your nostrils will trap some of the pollen.

Don't mow the grass or sit in fields or large areas of grass. Wash your hands and face regularly. Avoid exposure to other allergens, such as pet fur, or environmental irritants, such as insect sprays or tobacco smoke.

Treatment

As with most allergies, the best way to control hay fever is to avoid the triggers. However, it's difficult to avoid pollen, particularly during the summer.

Even straightforward hay fever can be debilitating, causing runny eyes, sleepless nights, bunged-up nose and headaches. Some people with hay fever develop asthma.

A range of over-the-counter products can treat the symptoms of hay fever, including tablets, nasal sprays, eye drops and creams.

Antihistamines are the usual treatment for the main symptoms, such as itchy, watery eyes and runny nose, while steroid nasal sprays are the main treatment for a stuffy nose.

Hay fever during pregnancy can be a particular problem. Hormonal changes make nasal congestion more common during pregnancy, and this often gets worse during hay fever season. Pregnant women are also advised not to take some hay fever medicines. Read more about taking hay fever medicines during pregnancy.

Speak to your GP or pharmacist before you decide on a hay fever treatment. It's particularly important to speak to your GP if you have asthma. Hay fever often makes asthma symptoms worse. If this happens, you may need to increase the dosage of your asthma medication.

Read more about treatments for hay fever.