Hay fever symptoms and treatment

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Hay fever, sometimes known as allergic rhinitis, is a common condition that causes your immune system to react to pollen¹, which can be irritating if you enjoy spending the warmer months outside. Hay fever symptoms can be similar to the symptoms of a common cold². They can include:

Sneezing
Congestion
Runny nose

Most people with hay fever notice symptoms during the spring and summer months, from late March to September³. The exact timing will depend on which type, or types, of pollen you're allergic to⁴.

Because of its similarity to the common cold, congestion associated with hay fever can be managed with over-the-counter decongestants⁵.

In this article, we look at what causes hay fever, common hay fever symptoms, potential treatments and more.

What is hay fever?
What causes hay fever?
Hay fever symptoms
When is hay fever season?
Hay fever treatment
Frequently asked questions

What is hay fever?

Hay fever, the common name for allergic rhinitis, is an allergic reaction to pollen that affects one in five people at some point in their lives. In fact, there are an estimated 10 million people with hay fever in the UK⁶.

The reaction can cause inflammation and irritation in the nose, which contributes to several of the main symptoms of hay fever⁷. Usually, treatments can reduce the intensity of symptoms⁸, but if left untreated symptoms can become long-term⁹.

Hay fever affects people of all ages and can develop at any stage of life, from childhood to teenage years and even into adulthood¹⁰. However, it’s more common for the condition to develop in childhood and it affects more boys than girls¹¹.

What causes hay fever?

Hay fever is caused by an allergy to different types of pollen¹². An allergic reaction is when your immune system mistakes a harmless substance, known as an allergen, for a harmful one¹³. With hay fever, the allergen is pollen¹⁴.

When this happens, your immune system will start to produce and release antibodies¹⁵. The antibodies then cause your blood vessels to widen and trigger the release of histamines to fight the allergen¹⁶. This causes the familiar sniffling, runny nose and itchy eyes that you associate with hay fever¹⁷.

There are around 30 different types of pollen that can cause hay fever and you may find you react to just one or several¹⁸. The most common types of pollen that cause an allergic reaction include:

Tree pollen – affects around 25% of hay fever sufferers in the UK¹⁹
Grass pollen – affecting 90% of hay fever sufferers in the UK²⁰
Weed pollen – less common than tree or grass allergies²¹

Within each of these categories, there are several different pollen species which could cause a reaction. So having a tree allergy doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll react to every type of tree. Several factors can increase your risk of developing hay fever. These include:

Having asthma
A family history of hay fever
An existing allergic condition, such as eczema
Exposure to pollution, tobacco smoke and diesel exhaust particles during childhood²².

Hay fever symptoms

The primary symptoms of hay fever are usually the same in every case. These can include sneezing, itchy eyes and a blocked or runny nose²³.

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Frequent sneezing

One of the most common and recognisable signs of hay fever, sneezing is your immune system's way of trying to push the pollen out of your body²⁴.

Runny or blocked nose

The histamine produced by your immune response to pollen can cause your nasal passages to become inflamed, triggering excess mucus production, causing a blocked or runny nose²⁵.

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Itchy, red or watery eyes (allergic conjunctivitis)

If our eyes come into contact with pollen, they may start to water as a way of flushing the allergen out²⁶. The itchiness and redness are typically caused by your immune response trying to fight off the allergen²⁷.

An itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears

Any itchiness in your throat, mouth, nose and ears is likely to be a result of the histamines produced by your immune response reacting to pollen²⁸.

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Cough

A hay fever cough can develop because of a postnasal drip. This is where excess mucus produced by your immune response drips down your throat from the back of the nose²⁹.

Loss of your sense of smell (anosmia)

Your allergic reaction to pollen may can irritate the mucous membranes inside your nose which can impact your ability to smell and taste³⁰.

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Facial pain

Some people find that their hay fever blocks their sinuses, this is known as sinusitis³¹. Sinuses are small chambers and passages in your head which can cause facial pain when blocked³².

Earache

Because your sinuses are close to your ears, they can cause earache when swollen³³.

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Hay fever headache

Allergies like hay fever can sometimes cause one of two different types of headache:

Sinus headache
Migraine³⁴

A hay fever headache will usually develop around the areas above your sinuses³⁵. That's around your cheekbones, eyes, the bridge of your nose and your forehead³⁶. You might also experience pain in one side of your head, nausea and sensitivity to light if your allergies trigger a migraine³⁷.

Tiredness and fatigue

When your hay fever is bad, you may find your stuffy nose makes it harder to sleep³⁸. Plus, an allergic reaction also causes your body to produce certain chemicals, making you feel tired³⁹.

Hay fever or cold?

While hay fever symptoms are like those of the common cold⁴⁰, there are some key differences between the two conditions.

The main difference between the two conditions is that a cold will usually cause a fever and body aches, while hay fever only tends to affect the head area⁴¹. Find out more about how to spot the differences between hay fever and a cold.

When to see a doctor

You can usually manage your hay fever by speaking to a pharmacist and taking their recommendations for over-the-counter allergy relief⁴².

When is hay fever season?

Hay fever season typically falls between late March and September⁴⁴. This is because pollen counts are usually at their highest at this time of year. The warmer, more humid weather can also contribute to a rise in hay fever.

The specific time your hay fever will be at its worst will typically depend on which pollens you're allergic to⁴⁵.

Tree pollen is typically at its peak from late March to mid-May⁴⁶
Grass pollen levels are usually highest from mid-May to July⁴⁷
Weed pollen tends to peak at the end of June through to September⁴⁸.

Hay fever treatment

Hay fever doesn't have to get in the way of you enjoying the warm weather during spring and summer. There are plenty of ways you can minimise the impact of your pollen allergy and reduce your symptoms. Here are our top 10 tips to help you manage your hayfever symptoms.

1. Vaseline

Putting Vaseline around the rim of your nostrils can help trap pollen and stop it from entering your nose⁴⁹.

2. Pick the right sunglasses

Wraparound sunglasses protect your eyes from pollen, reducing the risk of them becoming itchy, red or watery⁵⁰.

3. Change your clothes

If you've been outside for a while, change your clothes as soon as you get home and shower to wash away any pollen spores⁵¹.

4. Dry your clothes inside

Being able to hang your washing outside might be a nice bonus to some people during the warmer weather, but it increases the risk of pollen sticking to the fibres of your clothes. Dry your clothes inside to keep them clean and reduce the risk of a reaction⁵³.

5. Stay inside

If you can, stay inside as much as possible and keep windows and doors shut where you can⁵⁴.

6. Spring clean

Keep your home pollen-free by regularly vacuuming and dusting surfaces with a damp cloth⁵⁵.

7. Stop smoking

Smoking or being around cigarette smoke can make your allergy symptoms worse, so it’s best avoided⁵⁶.

8. Use a pollen filter

You can buy a pollen filter for your car's air vents to keep your air conditioning system pollen-free⁵⁶.

9. Avoid fresh flowers

They might look lovely but having fresh flowers about the house could trigger hay fever symptoms⁵⁷.

Allergy nasal sprays

Using a hay fever nasal spray can help to relieve a number of your allergy symptoms including a blocked or runny nose. Our nasal sprays containing the active ingredient xylometazoline, such as SUDAFED® Blocked Nose Spray, provide rapid relief from nasal congestion. Alternatively, SUDAFED® Natural Relief Blocked Nose Spray, a preservative-free isotonic saline solution, can be used to provide natural congestion relief and wash away allergens from the nose.

SUDAFED® is the most popular decongestant brand on the market and has been pioneering clinically proven over-the-counter congestion treatments for over 30 years⁵⁸.

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Frequently asked questions

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QA Question:

How can I relieve hay fever?

There are a few ways to help minimise your symptoms. Staying inside and reducing your contact with pollen is one option59. But if you want go outdoors, you could try rubbing Vaseline around your nostrils to catch some of the pollen60.

You can also try SUDAFED® Natural Relief Blocked Nose Spray to help wash away allergens from your nose or an over-the-counter decongestant to help relieve a blocked or stuffy nose.

QA Question:

Can hay fever cause a cough?

Yes, it can sometimes. The excess mucus produced by your immune response to pollen can cause a postnasal drip⁶¹. This is where mucus drops from your nose down the back of your throat and can cause a hay fever cough⁶².

QA Question:

What are hay fever symptoms?

The most common symptoms of hay fever include:

Sneezing
A blocked or runny nose
Itchy, red or watery eyes
Fatigue
Sinus pain⁶³

QA Question:

Can you suddenly get hay fever?

Most people develop hay fever in childhood or their early teens, but it is possible to develop the condition later in adulthood⁶⁴.

QA Question:

What triggers hay fever?

Hay fever is triggered by your immune response reacting to pollen spores. It is an allergic reaction triggered by your body mistaking harmless pollen for a dangerous substance, causing your immune response to spring into action to protect you⁶⁵.

QA Question:

Is hay fever worse at night?

If your hay fever is causing a blocked nose, you might notice your symptoms become worse at night⁶⁶. This is because it’s harder for your nose to drain when you're lying down⁶⁷. Plus, pollen levels are usually at their highest in the early evening and the morning, which can make your symptoms worse⁶⁸.

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