Hay Fever Allergy

Hay Fever Allergy

Just because you have a runny nose, and are always sneezing or have watery and scratchy eyes does not mean you have the flu or a bad cold. You could have an Allergy.

Allergic Rhinitis (commonly called Hay Fever) is arguably the commonest type of Allergy. Rhinitis is the scientific medical term describing an aggravation or inflaming of the nose passages. The nose develops an over supply of mucus, causing your nose to always be runny and drip just like a leaky tap.

Although it's known as Hay Fever you could call it Pollen Fever, because it's the pollen from trees and plants that floats in the air that causes the Allergy.

The pollen concerned comes from certain trees, grasses and weeds. The main types of trees that have been identified are Birch, Alder, Cedar, Gum, Poplar and Willow. The main types of grasses identified include Ryegrass and Bluegrass. The most offensive weed identified is Ragweed. A lot of tree and plant species produce pollen all year long.

Some trees and plants produce flowers. The flowers have large pollen grains inside them. They are easily spread around by flying insects like bees. This enables the plants and trees to reproduce. Some trees and plants do not produce flowers. So, in order to reproduce they produce very tiny pollen grains which are spread around by strong winds. It's these tiny pollen grains that cause Hay Fever Allergy.

The tiny pollen grains are dispersed about by the wind and can float for hundreds of miles. In Spring and Summer on very dry windy days you can see pollen clouds dispersed for miles. These type of days are the ones that worry Hay Fever Allergy sufferers the most. On the other hand Hay Fever Allergy sufferers love rainy days because on those days the tiny pollen grains are washed out of the air down on to the earth.

Pollen grains can easily land and stick to exposed skin and hair as well as curtains, bedding and carpets if you leave the windows and doors open. Regular showers or baths for you plus cleaning the bed linen and vacuuming curtains and carpets can help to reduce the affects of your Hay Fever Allergy. Try and use a vacuum that is fitted with an Allergy filter. It has much smaller holes in the filters which traps many more of the tiny grains.

You could try and remove any offending trees and plants from around your home tho this may not be truly successful. You see, you will still be able to be covered in windblown pollen when you are outdoors.

As yet there is no cure for Hay Fever Allergy. Any course of medication or treatment taken will only help to reduce the symptoms you suffer. There are a truckloads of different types of drugs that are used to block the effects of the Hay Fever Allergy.

They come in liquid, tablet or nasal spray. Brands like Zyrtec, Claritin, Flixonase, Piriton, Pititeze, Allergra and Benadryl may be worth a try.

In some severe Hay Fever Allergy cases your doctor might suggest desensitization (Immunotherapy) treatment. This involves a series of stronger and stronger injections to build up your resistance levels against the Allergens. Consult with your doctor for the best program to suit your own circumstances. One product that is often used and also comes in tablet form is Mizollen (prescription only).

Hay Fever Allergy can have similiar symptoms to a Pet Allergy. Check our Pet allergy Facts page for more information. If you have an Allergy but can't work out what it is from, might be a good idea to have a chat with your doctor or medical advisor.