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Brief Definition:
Hay fever is probably one of the most common allergies. Hay fever is an allergy of the nose and eyes. It is commonly associated with airborne pollens. However, hay fever may have numerous causes such as house dust, feathers, house dust mites, chemical fumes, odors, molds, and animal dander. The time of year your hay fever starts may even identify the cause. If you suffer in the spring and fall, it may be pollens. If it starts in the winter, when the air in the house is confined, it could be house dust.
Common Symptoms:
Symptoms of hay fever and nasal allergies may be a recurrent runny nose, accompanied by discharge, a lot of sneezing, itching, watering eyes, itching of the roof of the mouth and, at times, may be associated with wheezing, difficulty in breathing, and a cough. Sufferers with winter-type nasal allergies may show little or no discharge, but may have post-nasal drainage and tend to repeatedly clear their throat, sneeze, sniff or experience itchy nose. In contrast, the symptoms may be the opposite and appear as a stuffy or blocked nose.
Treatment:
Very often, people will get temporary relief from over-the-counter medicines or nasal sprays. However, these may aggravate the problem; and allergy sufferers have been known to become hooked on nasal sprays. The best way to treat hay fever is to find the cause and either avoid it, or find a physician knowledgeable in treating hay fever, such as an environmental allergist.
We hope this information has been helpful. To make an appointment, call Environmental Health and Allergy Center - St. Louis at 314-921-5600 or, email us at ehacstl@ehacstl.com.
