Hay Fever

What is Hay Fever?

Hay fever is a common allergy that is triggered by the body’s allergic reaction to pollen. Pollen is a fine powder produced by trees, flowers, and grass that travels through the wind. The pollen count is usually highest between late March and September and is worse on humid, warm and windy days. You can see how high the count is on the Met Office pollen forecast page.

Hay Fever Symptoms

Common hay fever symptoms include itchy, red or watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, and runny or blocked nasal passages. It can also cause an itchy throat, mouth and nose.

Less common symptoms include feeling tired and fatigued, losing your sense of smell, headaches and earaches. People with asthma who suffer from hay fever may notice more wheezing and tightness in the chest.

Some of the symptoms can seem like a cold, but hay fever symptoms usually last months. Colds tend to last for around 2 weeks.

People can experience hay fever symptoms (allergic rhinitis) from other sources of allergies such as dust mites and animal dander. If you notice symptoms at unusual times of the year, such as winter, your symptoms may be caused by a different source of allergies.

Hay Fever Medicines

There are many treatments for hay fever, including tablets, eye drops, nasal sprays, and syrups. Most of these belong to a family of medicines called antihistamines. These are effective treatments and they work by blocking a chemical in the body called histamine. Histamine is the cause of hay fever symptoms because it overreacts to pollen that comes into contact with the body. 

Hay fever tablets are effective treatments for a range of symptoms, whereas hay fever nasal sprays work specifically against the nasal symptoms of hay fever, like a runny nose. Hay fever eye drops help to treat symptoms affecting the eyes.

Nasal sprays and eye drops can be used alongside tablets if needed.

Over the counter

Some medicines can be bought over the counter without a prescription. One example is Piriton, which can be bought from a pharmacy. This is available as a tablet or syrup and can cause drowsiness.

Cetirizine is another over the counter medicine. It comes as a tablet that is taken once a day and is less likely to cause drowsiness. Another example is Loratadine, which is also taken once a day and is less likely to cause drowsiness.

Certain eye drops can be bought over the counter such as Optrex Hayfever Relief (contains sodium cromoglicate) and Optrex Itchy Eyes.

Prescription treatments

Several hay fever treatments are available on prescription. Strong hayfever tablets can be prescribed such as Telfast, Levocetirizine and Desloratadine. These are all prescription-only antihistamine tablets.

Rhinolast is a prescription nasal spray that contains the active ingredient azelastine, an antihistamine. This can be used to treat nasal symptoms. Beconase nasal spray is also available on prescription, and a smaller version can be bought over the counter. Dymista is a nasal spray that contains two ingredients - fluticasone and azelastine.

Optilast Eye Drops is a prescription-strength eye drop used for hay fever symptoms such as itchy, red and watery eyes. This contains the active ingredient azelastine.