Hay-fever
What is hay fever?
Pollen is the name given to the fine powder that is produced by plants, trees or flowers to fertilize other plants, trees or flowers of the same species. Strictly speaking, hay fever is caused by an allergy to grass or hay pollens. Grass pollen is the most common cause and tends to affect people every year in the grass pollen season from about May to July
Symptoms are due to your immune system reacting to the pollen Hay fever is also called seasonal allergic rhinitis because symptoms tend to occur at the same time, or in the same season, each year.
Who gets hay fever?
Common symptoms – These include a runny and itchy nose, a blocked nose, sneezing, itchy and watery red eyes, and an itchy throat. In some cases only nose symptoms occur, and in some cases only eye symptoms occur.
Less common symptoms – These are loss of smell, face pain, sweats, and headache.
Asthma symptoms – Symptoms such as wheeze and breathlessness may get worse if you already have asthma. Some people have asthma symptoms only during the hay fever season. If you have hay fever, you are more likely to develop asthma
How is hay fever diagnosed?
You doctor or nurse can usually diagnose hay fever from your typical symptoms that can occur during the hay fever season. They may also ask if there is a history in your family of hay fever, asthma or eczema.
Outlook
Hay fever cannot be cured completely, but there are a number of treatments available to relieve the symptoms. These include antihistamine tablets, nasal (nose) sprays and eye drops. Some can only be prescribed by a GP, but many are available over-the-counter (OTC) in pharmacies.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Hay-fever/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Treatment of hay fever
Self-help
You can reduce your symptoms by staying indoors on days when the pollen count is high so you have less contact with allergens.
Medicines
There are a range of treatments available. You can buy some of these in shops and supermarkets. Others are available in pharmacies, while for some you will need a prescription from your GP. Get advice from your GP or pharmacist before starting any medication, even if you don’t need a prescription for it.
Nasal sprays
If you only get hay fever symptoms now and again, and they only affect your nose, you could try an antihistamine nasal spray such as azelastine.
Tablets
Tablets that contain an antihistamine are an alternative treatment. They should reduce symptoms of sneezing and a runny nose, but are less effective at relieving a blocked nose
Eye drops
If you suffer from itchy or sore eyes, eye drops that contain antihistamines or sodium cromoglicate can help
http://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/directory/h/allergic-rhinitis