What are Hay Fever Symptoms?

Hay fever is our body’s immune system reacting to an allergen, such as pollen, that is mistaken for a harmful intruder and inflames the nasal airways causing hay fever symptoms. An antibody is produced in our bodies in response to allergens, which is not produced in non-allergic people. Hay fever and other allergic conditions, such as asthma and food allergies are thought to run in families.

Allergic rhinitis is the correct term for hay fever; rhinitis meaning “irritation of the nose.” If you suffer from allergic rhinitis during a specific time of year, it is called “seasonal allergic rhinitis”. When it occurs throughout the entire year, it is called “perennial allergic rhinitis”. Nearly 30% of all Americans suffer from hay fever, and up to 40% of children suffer from this aggravation. Understanding and recognizing hay fever symptoms is our first defense against fighting this intruder.

What Causes Hay Fever?

When exposed by the right person at the right time, any substance can cause an allergy. Hay fever itself is the result of an allergic person coming into contact with pollen. Pollen is a very small, light and dry protein particle made by trees, grasses and weeds. When these particles are released into the air through the wind, they are inhaled and lodged into the nasal lining tissues which starts the allergic reaction.

Pollen producing plants begin with the:

• Trees; who pollinate in the spring.
• Grasses; who pollinate in the late spring and into summer.
• Weeds; who pollinate in the summer and until the first frost.

The male plant is the culprit who starts the pollination process in which the pollen must find a female host for fertilization to occur. This process is helped out by insects and the wind. As the wind and air currents are used, people sometimes get in the way of this process. Those who have spring allergies must either find a way to avoid the pollen or find a way to cope with their symptoms.

Once these pollens enters into our bodies, our immune system attacks the harmless allergen as if it were a virus or bacteria. The immune system attacks by releasing a large amount of chemicals from mast cells and basophil cells.

The inflammatory chemicals released by specific cells are design to produce symptoms that will stop more allergens from entering into the body and to expel those allergens that have already entered. Histamine is one of the chemicals that leads in the attack, and plays a big role in causing symptoms.

Recognizing Hay Fever Symptoms

While most hay fever symptoms are well known, there may be a few that are less common. Here is a list of the most common symptoms and a few you might not have known were associated with hay fever:

• Constant Sneezing; often 5-10 times consecutively
• Stuffy Nose
• Itching or Tickling in the Nose
• Allergic Conjunctivitis
• Dark Circles (Allergic Shiners) under the Eyes
• Post Nasal Drip
• Rashes
• Hives
• Headache
• Coughing
• Mental Dullness and Fatigue
• Unexplained Nosebleeds
• Loss of Taste and Smell

Hay fever symptoms seem to occur mostly in those between the ages of 15 and 30 and then usually taper off as we get older. The older we get the less severe our symptoms seem to get.

How to Avoid the Symptoms of Hay Fever

Conventional medications and treatments are not always effective, or many people cannot handle the side effects that come along with these medications. Avoiding Hay fever symptoms is your best defense for living a happier, healthier lifestyle. There are several steps you can take to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of hay fever and improve your quality of life during hay fever season.

• Stay inside during high pollen counts. Pollen tends to be higher in the early morning and late afternoon. Keep your windows shut and turn your air conditioner on.
• Keep the filter on your central air conditioner changed, clean and in good condition.
• Use a damp rag to dust. A dry rag will just spread the pollen. Dust before you vacuum. Some people find that it helps to wear a mask while they clean.
• Vacuum with only a vacuum that has a HEPA filter.
• Use a room air purifier to collect pollen before you breath it in.
• Practice avoidance strategies for other types of allergies. Most people are allergic to more than one type of allergen. Allergens have an accumulative effect on the body.
• Use a nasal irrigation system to rinse out the pollen that has reached the lining in your nose.

The three main ways to address hay fever symptoms are

1. avoidance
2. treatment with medication
3. immunotherapy

Of these three methods, avoidance is the most practical. To significantly reduce your exposure to allergens is the most practical and the healthy approach. It will even save you money on allergy medication. Avoidance measures with small lifestyle changes, offers a long term approach and the safe way to go about it. It is not easy but it can be done.

Go to the hay fever HOME PAGE from hay fever symptoms.

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