Hay fever

You’ll experience hay fever symptoms if you have an allergic reaction to pollen.

Pollen is a fine powder released by plants as part of their reproductive cycle. It contains proteins that can cause the nose, eyes, throat and sinuses to become swollen, irritated and inflamed.

You can have an allergy to:

tree pollen, released during spring grass pollen, released during the end of spring and beginning of summer weed pollen, released late autumn

Many people find their symptoms improve as they get older.


Pollen is a fine powder released by plants as part of their reproductive cycle. It contains proteins that can cause the nose, eyes, throat and sinuses to become swollen, irritated and inflamed.

You can have an allergy to:

tree pollen, released during spring grass pollen, released during the end of spring and beginning of summer weed pollen, released late autumn

Many people find their symptoms improve as they get older.


You can have an allergy to:

tree pollen, released during spring grass pollen, released during the end of spring and beginning of summer weed pollen, released late autumn

Many people find their symptoms improve as they get older.

Symptoms

The symptoms of hay fever include:

frequent sneezing runny or blocked nose itchy, red or watery eyes (allergic conjunctivitis)  an itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears cough, caused by postnasal drip (mucus dripping down the throat from the back of the nose)

Less commonly, you may also experience:

the loss of your sense of smell (anosmia) facial pain (caused by blocked sinuses) headaches earache tiredness and fatigue

If you have asthma, your asthma symptoms may get worse when you have hay fever.