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Hay fever is one of the most common allergic conditions affecting many people in spring and early summer. Medically known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, hay fever is caused by breathing in pollen particles and pollen getting into the eyes. You can get hay fever at any time from early spring to late summer, depending on which pollen or pollens you're allergic to.

The pollens most likely to cause problems in early spring are those from trees such as the Silver birch, Ash, and Oak.

The condition tends to occur in families prone to allergies, and most commonly appears when people are in their early teens, peeking when they reach their early 20’s.

James Green from Far Cotton is 25 years old and suffers from hay fever which started when he was 13 years old. At first he thought it was just a summer cold. “I was always suffering from a runny nose but simply put it down to having a cold. They kept on getting worse until my mum told me to see my doctor”. He explains.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms of hay fever are:
• Repeated sneezing attacks
• Runny or itchy nose
• Itchy or watery eyes
• Itchy throat, palate and ears
• Loss of concentration
• General feeling of being unwell (hence 'fever')

If the pollen count is very high, many people will also wheeze, so-called hay 'asthma'
Luckily for James he doesn’t suffer from hay asthma and just uses a nasal spray to help his symptoms. “As soon as I start to have my symptoms I spray my nasal spray and it seems to keep control it. I also take tablets too depending on how serve it is”.  

What are the treatments?

The most useful treatments for hay fever are:
• Antihistamine tablets and nasal sprays, which if taken regularly help to relieve a runny nose, sneezing, an itchy throat and itchy, watery eyes
• Anti-inflammatory nasal sprays and nose drops, which reduce inflammation in the delicate lining of the nose. These should be taken daily for the best results
• Anti-allergy nasal sprays and eye drops, such as Cromoglycate, which act on the linings of the nose and eyes to stop the allergen triggering a reaction
• Decongestant tablets and sprays can help if the nose is blocked and stuffy, but can lead to rebound blocking

Most of these medicines are available over-the-counter, but some are only available on prescription.

For more information on Hay fever have a look at the NHS website:

BBC Weather service

It is also worth checking the pollen count for today by logging on to the BBC weather website, or if your are worried about anything contact your G.P.