What Is Hay Fever?

Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) is one of the most common chronic conditions in the United States, affecting an estimated 35 million people. The condition may cause you to sniffle, drip and itch your way through the blooming months or while exposed to other allergic triggers.

If you have hay fever, relief may be on the way. There are many ways to treat hay fever. Medical advances during the past few years have brought new and improved drugs, both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription.

Allergy & Asthma Center

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of hay fever may include:

• Congestion
  
  
• Runny nose
  
  
• Frequent sneezing
  
  
• Watery eyes
  
  
• Itchy eyes, nose, roof of mouth or throat
  
  
• Cough

If you're lucky, your reactions are mild. If you're not so lucky, your symptoms can be severe enough to disturb your sleep and trigger asthma, recurrent sore throats, headaches, fatigue and irritability. If you also have asthma, you may wheeze or become short of breath.

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Self-Care

These over-the-counter medications may relieve symptoms of hay fever:

• Antihistamines. These medications counteract histamine, an inflammatory substance released when your immune system encounters an allergen. Antihistamines are the most common treatment for hay fever. OTC antihistamines are relatively inexpensive but can cause drowsiness.
  
  
• Eye drops. OTC eye drops containing antihistamines or decongestants such as naphazoline can relieve itching in your eyes.
  
  
• Nasal sprays. Nasalcrom, a nasal spray containing cromolyn sodium, is available without a prescription. One advantage of using Nasalcrom is that it has few side effects even for children as young as 6. However, many people find Nasalcrom only modestly effective in controlling symptoms.

It's not possible to completely avoid allergens such as pollen and mold, but you can minimize exposure. If you're allergic to pollen or molds:

• Keep your windows and doors closed and air conditioning on at home and in your car during your allergy season.
  
  
• Use a good air filter at home.
  
  
• Run a dehumidifier at home to reduce humidity, which may allow mold to grow.
  
  
• Stay indoors as much as possible during the pollen season.
  
  
• Keep your house especially clean during the pollen season to reduce levels of pollen and mold.

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— July 19, 2001 —