Hay fever is an allergy to pollen.
Symptoms of hay fever include sneezing, coughing, a runny nose and itchy, red eyes.
You can usually treat hay fever with things like antihistamine medicines bought from a pharmacy. See a GP if it does not get better.
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, typically when it comes into contact with your mouth, nose, eyes and throat.
Symptoms of hay fever include sneezing, coughing, a runny nose and itchy, red eyes.
Symptoms of hay fever include:
If you have asthma, you might also:
Hay fever will last for weeks or months, unlike a cold, which usually goes away after 1 to 2 weeks.
You can usually treat hay fever with things like antihistamine medicines bought from a pharmacy. See a GP if it does not get better.
There's currently no cure for hay fever and you cannot prevent it.
But you can do things to ease your symptoms when the pollen count is high.
put Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen
wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes
shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off
stay indoors whenever possible
keep windows and doors shut as much as possible
vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth
buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car and a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter
do not cut grass or walk on grass
do not spend too much time outside
do not keep fresh flowers in the house
do not smoke or be around smoke – it makes your symptoms worse
do not dry clothes outside – they can catch pollen
do not let pets into the house if possible – they can carry pollen indoors
Your GP might prescribe a steroid treatment, such as a steroid nasal spray.
If steroids and other hay fever treatments do not work, your GP may refer you for immunotherapy.
This means you'll be given small amounts of pollen as an injection or tablet to slowly build up your immunity to pollen.
This kind of treatment usually starts in the winter about 3 months before the hay fever season begins.
Immunotherapy is a specialist service that may not be available everywhere.
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, typically when it comes into contact with your mouth, nose, eyes and throat.