Hay Fever – Symptoms and Causes
Overview
Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, creates symptoms that feel like a cold. People with hay fever often have runny noses, itchy eyes, stuffed-up sinuses, sneezing, and pressure in their face.
Unlike colds, hay fever doesn’t come from a virus. Instead, it happens when your body mistakes harmless things for dangers and reacts to them.
Common triggers include:
- Pollen from trees, grass, and weeds
- Dust mites in your home
- Pet dander (tiny skin flakes from animals)
These symptoms can make daily life difficult. They might affect your work, school performance, or enjoyment of activities.
The good news is that hay fever can be managed. By learning what triggers your symptoms and finding the right treatments, you can feel better.
Signs and Symptoms
Hay fever can cause many uncomfortable signs that affect daily life. These may include:
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Red, itchy, watery eyes
- Frequent sneezing
- Coughing
- Itchy feeling in nose, throat, or roof of mouth
- Mucus dripping down throat
- Dark circles under eyes
- Extreme tiredness
What Triggers Seasonal Allergies
Hay fever symptoms might happen year-round or get worse during specific seasons. Different things in the environment can cause these reactions:
Seasonal Triggers:
- Tree pollen (early spring)
- Grass pollen (late spring and summer)
- Ragweed pollen (fall)
Year-Round Triggers:
- Dust mites
- Cockroach waste
- Pet dander (often worse in winter when homes are closed up)
- Mold spores (both indoors and outdoors)
Telling Apart Allergies and Colds
It can be tricky to know if you have hay fever or just a common cold. This table shows the main differences:
| Feature | Hay Fever | Common Cold |
|---|---|---|
| Discharge | Thin, clear, watery | May become thick, yellow |
| Fever | None | Possible low-grade fever |
| Body aches | Rare | Common |
| Timing | Starts right after exposure | Develops 1-3 days after virus exposure |
| Duration | Continues as long as exposure | Usually lasts 3-7 days |
When Medical Help Is Needed
You should talk to a healthcare provider if:
- Your symptoms don’t get better with home treatment
- Allergy medications don’t work or cause troublesome side effects
- You have other health issues like asthma, nasal polyps, or frequent sinus infections
Many people, especially children, might get used to living with allergy symptoms and only seek help when they become severe.
Causes
Hay fever starts when the body mistakenly identifies a harmless substance in the air as something dangerous. These substances, known as allergens, trigger an immune response.
When allergens enter the body, the immune system creates special antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). These antibodies act like alarm systems.
Once the body encounters these allergens again, the IgE antibodies signal the immune system to release chemicals, including histamine, into the bloodstream. This chemical release is what causes the uncomfortable symptoms of hay fever.
Risk Factors
Several factors may increase your chance of getting hay fever:
- Family history of allergies or asthma, especially in parents or siblings.
- Existing allergic conditions, such as asthma.
- Skin conditions such as eczema or atopic dermatitis.
- Environmental exposure to allergens at home or work, including animal dander and dust mites.
- Irritant exposure to smoke and strong odors can irritate nasal passages.
- Early life exposure to tobacco smoke, particularly from a mother who smoked during your first year.
These factors don’t guarantee you’ll develop hay fever, but they might make you more likely to experience symptoms when exposed to triggers.
Complications
Hay fever may cause several problems that affect daily life:
- Disrupted Daily Activities: Hay fever symptoms can reduce your ability to enjoy activities. Many people miss work or school due to severe symptoms.
- Sleep Disturbances: Symptoms like congestion and sneezing might prevent good sleep, leading to tiredness and a general feeling of being unwell.
- Asthma Symptom Increase: People with asthma may experience worse coughing and wheezing when hay fever flares up.
- Sinus Issues: Long-lasting nasal congestion from hay fever can increase your risk of developing sinusitis, which is inflammation or infection of the sinus lining.
- Ear Problems in Children: Children with hay fever have a higher chance of developing middle ear infections (otitis media).
Prevention
There’s no way to completely prevent hay fever. If you have this condition, focus on reducing contact with allergens that trigger your symptoms.
Take your allergy medications before exposure to allergens, following your healthcare provider’s instructions.
