Blossom, warmer weather and longer days are a few of my favourite spring things.
Sneezing, watery eyes and a runny nose are not.
For many long-time sufferers, hay fever and spring are inseparable, but how can we distinguish between hay fever and something else like a cold?
What is hay fever?
Associate professor Joy Lee, from Alfred Health’s Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology clinic, says the medical term for hay fever is allergic rhinitis and it falls into two categories.
People with perennial hay fever experience symptoms all year round, while seasonal hay fever mostly impacts people who are allergic to grasses and pollens during spring.
Dr Lee says common hay fever symptoms include:
- Sneezing
- Itchy eyes, nose or throat
- Nasal congestion
- Watery eyes
- Dripping nose
How to tell if you have hay fever or something else
The chief medical officer at national health advice service Healthdirect Australia, Nirvana Luckraj, says hay fever and other illnesses do share common symptoms.
Nirvana Luckraj says hayfever symptoms are usually mild and can last the duration of the pollen season. (Supplied: Healthdirect Australia)
Dr Luckraj says, colds, flu and COVID-19 “usually have additional symptoms like fever, body aches, cough or a sore throat” that aren’t typical of hay fever.
But she says persistent “heavier” hayfever symptoms may cause a sore throat.
Duration can also be a clue. Hayfever symptoms can last for several weeks during allergy season, whereas “cold or flu typically resolves within a week or two”.
She says hay fever also stays “primarily localised to the nose and the eyes”.
What causes hay fever?
Dr Luckraj says pollen is a common trigger for hay fever.
Dr Lee says the pollen season “starts around September” in Naarm/Melbourne, and symptoms usually peak from September to November.
Joy Lee says seasonal hayfever mostly impacts people during spring. (Supplied: Alfred Health)
“A family history puts you more at risk [of hay fever],” Dr Lee explains.
Also, conditions such as hay fever, asthma and eczema often “cluster together”.
For instance, early childhood eczema symptoms may go into remission or improve and then manifest more like hay fever in adolescence or early adulthood, Dr Lee says.
That said, she says you can still experience hayfever symptoms as an adult if you haven’t in the past.
Dr Lee also says it’s common to see people experience hay fever for the first time after moving to a new area, but it often takes a couple of seasons before “symptoms onset”.
How do you treat hay fever?
While medication won’t cure hay fever, Dr Luckraj says it can reduce discomfort.
“My advice is to speak to your pharmacist as a number of medications are available over the counter. But if your symptoms persist and you’d like something stronger or other alternatives, speak to your GP.”
She says you can buy antihistamines in tablet, syrup, spray and eye-drop form, as well as intranasal corticosteroid sprays.
Dr Lee says nasal treatments “seem to be more effective” than oral antihistamines, which are often sold as small tablets.
There’s also “desensitisation or allergen immunotherapy”, which is a “long-term treatment for people to try and change their immune system response to grass pollen allergies”.
This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.