How do I know if I have hay fever?

As we transition from colder to warmer seasons, it’s generally accepted that a significant portion of the population will be affected by hay fever. Hay fever can affect people of all ages.

What is hay fever? 

Most of us are familiar with hay fever and its associated symptoms, which include: 

• Sneezing. 
• Watery and itchy eyes. 
• Redness around the eyes and nose. 
• Blocked or runny nose.
• Scratchy throat and mouth.

This is commonly caused by an allergic reaction to pollen in the air, which is triggered when it is breathed in. Hay fever is a largely seasonal allergy, as its symptoms come and go depending on how high the pollen count is. At the time of writing there is no cure for hay fever, although there are a number of treatment options that can provide relief. Those who are asthmatic may experience worse symptoms, such as shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, or a persistent cough. 

How to tell if you have hay fever 

You can of course go through the list of symptoms above to see if you might be suffering from hay fever. However, the presence of these symptoms isn’t enough to guarantee that you have hay fever. This is because hay fever is just one type of allergic rhinitis, and it can be possible for people to show similar symptoms due to reactions with a different allergen. 

Let’s instead look more closely at what causes hay fever. Pollen in the air is most dense during spring and summer (roughly from the end of March to September). As such, it’s likely that if you are experiencing hay fever symptoms consistently during these months then you have hay fever. If the symptoms flare up when you go outside, this can also be a strong indication of hay fever. 

Hay fever treatments 

Currently there is no cure for hay fever, although there are a number of treatment options that can provide relief.

You can seek help to help relieve symptoms from your local pharmacy see your GP. Here you’ll get advice from a trained professional who can recommend treatments based on your symptoms, such as hay fever nasal spray if symptoms are most acute in the nose.