Hayfever relief

If you notice symptoms during the warm weather you may have seasonal hayfever triggered by irritants such as grass or tree pollen during later spring/early summer, typically march-may for tree pollen and May to July for grass pollen.”

A ccording to recent statistics Hayfever is one of the most common allergies in UK, affecting about 12 million people, 15 to 25% in the population as a whole. Virtually unknown before the year 1800, becoming common only during the last century, the first case to be described medically was in 1819 with the causes of the disease identified in 1873.

What are the causes of hayfever?

Hayfever, also known as allergic Rhinitis, is an allergic response to pollen or mould that affects the mucous membranes of the nose, eyes and air passages. If you notice symptoms during the warm weather you may have seasonal hayfever triggered by irritants such as grass or tree pollen during later spring/early summer, typically march-may for tree pollen and May to July for grass pollen. These dates can be about a week earlier in the south of England and one to two weeks later in Scotland. If you experience symptoms all year round you could be suffering from perennial allergies, the triggers being animal fur, household mites or mould. All these irritants produce the same symptoms.

What are the symptoms?

Itchy, red eyes; watery discharge from the nose and eyes; sneezing; fatigue and nervous irritability are all symptoms of hayfever. Many of the symptoms are similar to that of a cold but without the feverish feelings. Many sufferers can have a feeling of being ‘wiped out’ for weeks on end and can seriously disturb daily life during this time.

What causes this reaction?

When bacteria, viruses or other substances such as pollen and mould spores, enter the body, the immune system aims to destroy those that might cause illness and ignore those that do not. In allergic individuals the immune system cannot tell the difference between threatening and benign material; as a result, innocuous particles such as pollen trigger the release of a naturally occurring substance called histamine and other inflammatory compounds in the area where the irritant entered the body – in the case of hayfever, the nose, throat or eyes.

Why do we sufferer from it and who is at risk?

Approximately two-thirds of sufferers develop the symptoms before the age of 30 but the condition can occur at any age. As it takes two years of exposure to the allergens to develop the condition, occurrence is low in children under 12 months. It is not known exactly why the immune system reacts in this way and the causes can be multifaceted as highlighted below:

Hereditary: Clinical studies have shown that the risk of developing the condition is 30% if one parent has a history of atopic disease (eczema, asthma, allergies), and rises to 50% if both parents suffer.
Climate: Experts read more