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Have I got hay fever? The main signs to look out for
Written byLaura Harcourt
Reviewed byHeeral Patel
Trying to work out whether you’ve got those seasonal sniffles? If you’re reaching for the tissues as soon as the pollen count soars, spot the signs before it takes over your summer
Summary
1Signs of hay fever
When the pollen count (the number of grains of pollen in one cubic metre of air) exceeds 50 is when signs can appear...
2Hay fever symptoms
Look out for symptoms like: sneezing, blocked or runny nose, itchy throat, coughing, loss of smell, headache, watery eyes and more...
3Symptoms of hay fever in adults
Symptoms might change as you get older as most nasal symptoms are higher in adults than children. However, there are contrasting studies...
Is the seasonal pollen invasion leaving you wondering if your sneezing fits and runny nose are signs of hay fever or just a pesky summer cold?
You're not alone. Roughly one in five people in England will experience hay fever at some point.1 But here's the kicker – recognising hay fever symptoms isn’t always the easiest.
With all those familiar symptoms like sneezing, a runny nose, sore eyes and coughing, it's easy to confuse hay fever with a regular cold.2 But if you miss the early signs of hay fever, you could end up suffering for longer than need you to.
Let’s explore everything you need to know about hay fever – from what it is, how to spot the tell-tale sign sand everything you need to stay one step ahead this allergy season.
What are the signs of hay fever?
Hay fever (sometimes called allergic rhinitis) is a common allergic reaction to pollen, which is why symptoms usually appear when the pollen count (the number of grains of pollen in one cubic metre of air) exceeds 50.1,3 This usually occurs on sunny, windy or humid days.2
When pollen comes into contact with the mouth, nose, eyes and throat of someone with the allergy, the cells in the nasal passage become sensitised – that is, they start reacting to the pollen.2,4
These sensitised cells then trigger the production of antibodies (proteins that try to protect you from unwanted substances entering the body), which leads to the release of histamine.4,6 It’s this histamine that triggers the onset of hay fever symptoms.4,5
For people who are allergic to pollen, it can cause significant irritation and inflammation, leading to a blocked nose and symptoms like sneezing.1 However, not everyone reacts to pollen in this way.
For most people, exposure to this powdery substance is completely harmless and causes no reaction whatsoever.1
But, depending on your genetics, you may be more likely to experience hay fever symptoms.3 If, for instance, you have a family history of allergies, or have asthma or eczema, the likelihood of you having hay fever may increase.1,6,7
The symptoms of hay fever
While most people develop hay fever when they are a child or a teenager, it can be triggered at any age.1 This means that you might not be familiar with the symptoms, and may even assume that the symptoms must be a sign of something else.
However, although it’s easy to mistake the signs of hay fever for a cold, there are some important differences. For instance, while a cold should go away on its own after one or two weeks, the symptoms of hay fever are likely to stick around for much longer – even months.2
It’s important to also note that hay fever symptoms can vary from person to person, especially depending on the pollen count in your area.2,8
Recognising these allergy-related reactions can help you to treat your symptoms appropriately:2
- sneezing
- blocked or runny nose
- red, itchy or watery hay fever eyes
- itchy throat (hay fever sore throat), mouth, nose and ears
- coughing
- loss of smell
- headache
- earache
- tiredness
Symptoms of hay fever in adults
If you’ve had hay fever for a long time, you might have noticed it's changed as you’ve gotten older. This is because hay fever symptoms can differ slightly between adults and children, concludes one study.
While the differences aren’t huge, a Spanish study found that nasal symptoms associated with hay fever are higher in adults than children.9
What’s more, hay fever tends to be more of a predictable, seasonal occurrence in adults and presents with fewer additional conditions, such as conjunctivitis and asthma, than in children.9
However, contrasting evidence in another study found that children with allergic rhinitis had greater inflammation in their nasal airways compared to adults. Nonetheless, research between children and adults is limited and more is needed.10
Symptoms of hay fever in children
While it may be a child’s instinct to get outdoors, roll down grassy hills and climb trees, have you ever noticed that after a day bouncing around the garden, they’re a bit sniffly or are itching their eyes more often?
The problem is that some signs of hay fever are invisible to the parental eye and are easy to mistake for the common cold.2 This makes identifying hay fever in children harder, especially if your child can’t easily explain what they’re feeling.
Looking out for behaviour that could signal they’re experiencing hay fever symptoms can help. Here are five key behaviours to look out for:12
- rubbing their eyes a lot because they’re itchy
- frequent sneezing, especially when outside or around greenery
- runny nose
- symptoms that come and go in line with how much time is spent outdoors and the weather
- disturbed sleep patterns
Less common hay fever symptoms
Some people may experience these less common and, potentially, more severe symptoms of hay fever. Less common symptoms can include:1
- tiredness and fatigue, due to experiencing symptoms during the night the
- loss of your sense of smell (anosmia)
- facial pain (caused by blocked sinuses)
- headaches
- earache
Hay fever treatment
Thankfully, there are some treatments available to help you minimise or manage symptoms of hay fever.
Some of the main pharmaceutical treatments recommended by the NHS include:13,14
- antihistamines
- decongestant nasal sprays or drops to unblock your nose
- salt water nasal sprays or solutions to rinse out the inside of your nose
- trap pollen by putting Vaseline around your nostrils
- stop pollen getting into your eyes by wearing wraparound sunglasses
- wash pollen off your clothes and skin after being outside by showering and having regular changes of clothes
- stay indoors whenever possible
- stop pollen from getting into your house by keeping windows and doors shut as much as possible
- vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth
- buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car and a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter
- if you have a high temperature or don’t feel well enough to do your normal activities, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people
If you’re keen to learn more about how to manage hay fever, take a look at our dedicated guide to hay fever remedies.
The final say
From sleepless nights to constant sneezing, hay fever can be frustrating to live with. But if you know what you’re looking for, you can easily remedy the situation.
At H&B, we’ve got plenty of hay fever remedies available to help alleviate your symptoms, including sprays, tablets and balms. However, if you’re suffering from severe hay fever that’s disrupting your life, speak to your GP as you may need a stronger treatment.
To learn more about hay fever, check out some of our other blogs covering topics like the difference between hay fever and a cold and the link between hay fever and rashes.
This article provides informational advice and is not a substitute for medical care. Curated by experts for accuracy, we take great care to ensure the information is up-to-date and relevant. However, you should always consult your GP or healthcare professional before using supplements or alternative products, particularly if you have medical conditions or are under supervision.
- NHS Inform. Hay fever [Internet]. [Cited 2024 Mar 14]. Available from: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/immune-system/hay-fever/.
- NHS. Hay fever [Internet]. [Cited 2024 Mar 14]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hay-fever/.
- Hay Fever and Allergic Rhinitis | Allergy UK | National Charity [Internet]. Allergy UK | National Charity. 2020 [cited 2024 Jun 11]. Available from: https://www.allergyuk.org/types-of-allergies/hayfever/.
- Guryanova SV, Finkina EI, Melnikova DN, Bogdanov IV, Bohle B, Ovchinnikova TV. How Do Pollen Allergens Sensitize? Frontiers in molecular biosciences [Internet]. 2022 Jun 16 [cited 2024 Jun 11];9. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9245541/.
- Iwasaki N, Seigo Terawaki, Shimizu K, Daisuke Oikawa, Sakamoto H, Kishiko Sunami, et al. Th2 cells and macrophages cooperatively induce allergic inflammation through histamine signaling. PloS one [Internet]. 2021 Mar 4 [cited 2024 Jun 11];16(3):e0248158–8. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7932145/.
- Choi, B., et al. ‘Genetics and Epigenetics in Allergic Rhinitis.’ Genes. 2021;12(12):2004–4. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8700872/.
- Waage J, Standl M, Curtin JA, Jessen LE, Thorsen J, Tian C, et al. Genome-wide association and HLA fine-mapping studies identify risk loci and genetic pathways underlying allergic rhinitis. Nature genetics [Internet]. 2018 Jul 16 [cited 2024 Jun 11];50(8):1072–80. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0157-1.
- Silverberg, JI., et al. ‘Association between climate factors, pollen counts, and childhood hay fever prevalence in the United States.’ Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2015. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091674914011154.
- Izquierdo-Dominguez, A., et al. ‘Allergy rhinitis: similarities and differences between children and adults’. Rhinology International Journal. 2017. Available from: https://www.rhinologyjournal.com/Abstract.php?id=1640.
- Kyung Suk Lee, Yu J, Shim D, Choi H, Jang MY, Kyung Rae Kim, et al. Local Immune Responses in Children and Adults with Allergic and Nonallergic Rhinitis. PloS one [Internet]. 2016 Jun 9 [cited 2024 Jun 11];11(6):e0156979–9. Available from: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0156979.
- Barr, JG., et al. ‘Allergic rhinitis in children’. BMJ. 2014;349. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g4153.
- NHS. Allergic rhinitis in children [Internet]. Kingston Hospital. [Cited 2024 Mar 14]. Available from: https://kingstonhospital.nhs.uk/information/allergic-rhinitis-in-children/.
- NHS. Overview - Allergic Rhinitis [Internet]. [Cited 2024 Mar 14]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/allergic-rhinitis/.
- NHS. Hay fever [Internet]. [Cited 2024 Mar 14]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hay-fever/.
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