Hay Fever

Over 9 million people in the UK suffer from hay fever – an allergic reaction to pollen and fungal spores.

In this article:

What is hay fever?

Causes

Treatment

Symptoms

Diagnosis

How Chemist Online can help

What is hay fever?
Hay fever is a seasonal allergic condition caused by ‘airborne’ grass and hay pollen which affect the upper respiratory passages (your throat, nose, sinus and eyes).

In the UK, hay fever affects about 2 in 10 people and usually occurs during the summer months.

Symptoms
Symptoms of hay fever include:

sneezing

watery eyes

itchy eyes

runny nose

blocked nose

irritated throat, mouth, noise and ears passages (varying in degrees of irritation/itchiness)

a decreased sense of smell or taste

fatigue

irritability, and

sleeplessness

The severity of these symptoms can differ depending upon the level of allergic reaction you experience in different weather conditions, and when exposed to different pollen count levels. Also, symptoms can differ from year to year.

Causes
Hay fever is basically caused by an allergic reaction to pollen. You suffer an allergic reaction when pollen comes into contact with body cells in your nose, throat, eyes and mouth. However, hay fever can also be caused by dust mites, mould, pet fur and cockroaches – possibly giving you all-year-round symptoms.

Pollution, such as car exhaust fumes of cigarette smoke, can exacerbate symptoms.

Diagnosis
If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms and think you might have hay fever, you can usually treat your condition with over-the-counter remedies. However, if you would like a confirmed diagnosis, arrange to see your GP. After taking your medical history, he or she will ask you some questions about your symptoms and then recommend an appropriate treatment.

Note: Sometimes a skin or blood test is carried out in order to establish the exact allergen involved.

Treatment
As well as over-the-counter remedies, prescribed hay fever treatments can include:

antihistamine tablets and nasal sprays

eye-drops, and

pollen-blocking creams

All these can help prevent itching, sneezing, runny nose, and other symptoms.

Also, sometimes complementary therapies, such as acupuncture and homoeopathy can prove successful in controlling symptoms.

How Chemist Online can help
Through this website we have a range of hay fever treatments available to buy, such as:
Medisana Medinose which provides drug free treatment and relief from hay fever and nasal allergies caused by animal hair or house dust, and also Zirtek Allergy which relieves the unpleasant symptoms and discomfort of hay fever and other allergies, such as: sneezing, irritated, runny and blocked up nose, itchy, red and watering eyes and itchy skin rashes.




www.chemistonline.co.uk


This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.


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Keywords: Medicines, Health, Beauty

By: mumsa1i

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