Hay fever is medically known as ‘seasonal allergic rhinitis’; it causes an inflammation and irritation in the delicate linings of the nasal passage, throat and eyes. Hay fever commonly appears around the age 11-12, the symptoms usually peak in the 20´s and early 30´s then gradually disappear. However, more and more people are beginning to experience hay fever for the first time in their 30´s. Although we still use the term ‘hay fever’, in fact a fever is not a symptom of the disease, nor is it due to hay. There are two types of allergic rhinitis, seasonal allergic rhinitis and perennial allergic rhinitis. Seasonal rhinitis is when you only experience symptoms during the spring and summer pollen season.

When the majority of people say they have hay fever, it usually means seasonal allergic rhinitis. Perennial rhinitis is when you experience symptoms all year around. Perennial rhinitis is usually caused by indoor allergens, such as house dust mites, moulds and animal fur. The symptoms are similar to those of hay fever though you may feel like you have a permanent cold and suffer with a blocked nose and sore throat.

Hay Fever affects 15 - 20% of the population in the United Kingdom and is the most common of allergic conditions. Those who suffer from hay fever may also have symptoms of asthma. Hay fever is caused by an allergic reaction to the allergen pollen. Pollens that are light enough to be wind-borne are what cause the problem for most hay-fever sufferers. Heavier pollens that are carried from plant to plant by bees and by other insects can also be allergens, but they cause trouble only when a person comes into direct contact with the plant. Airborne pollens can penetrate anywhere, indoors and out, and are most numerous at the height of the pollinating season for the particular plant.

When pollen particles are breathed in the body&s immune system overreacts, as it believes it to be a harmful substance. The body then produces an antibody, immunoglobulin E (IgE) to fight it off. The IgE antibody stimulates the release of certain chemicals, in particular histamine, to flush the pollen out of the airways. It is this process, which causes the many symptoms associated with hay fever. If you tend to suffer your hay fever symptoms in early spring then it is most likely an allergy to tree pollens, if you suffer more in the summer then it is more likely to be a grass pollen allergy.

Hay fever is the commonest form of allergy in the UK affecting up to 20% of the population of the UK, which would be up to 10 million sufferers. It is an allergy to pollen. Whilst grass pollen is the most common culprit for producing hay fever symptoms, tree pollen, flower pollen, and fungal spores (the fungus equivalent of pollen) can also produce the same symptoms in sensitive people. An estimated 26.1 million Americans have hay fever symptoms annually resulting in 10 million lost days of school or work each year. 14.6 million Americans have asthma, which can often accompany hay fever.