All About Seasonal Allergies And Hay Fever

Hay fever affects millions of people every year. Hay fever is an old term for what is nothing more than a seasonal outdoor allergy to pollen.

Though technically hay fever can occur any time of year when pollen triggers a reaction, many people will refer to hay fever as fall hay fever, because it is most common at that time of year. That is when goldenrod and ragweed, two common hay fever allergens, release their pollen and most people suffer.

Learning about hay fever - seasonal outdoor pollen allergies - helps sufferers learn how to control reactions with allergy and hay fever treatment.

The first step in finding effective hay fever treatment is to learn about hay fever symptoms and their causes. Symptoms of hay fever are the same as many seasonal outdoor allergies. Symptoms include:

Itchy eyes and nose
Runny nose
Watery eyes
Cough and lung irritation
Sneezing

People sometimes associate a high fever and hay fever, but as true allergies do not usually produce fevers, when an actual fever is present another source of infection should be looked for.

Hay fever sufferers only want one thing - relief from hay fever allergies. Relief from hay fever consists of removing yourself from the source of the allergy (the pollen allergen) by staying indoors, or taking medicines to help hay fever. Antihistamines and other allergy medications are helpful and can also be of use when trying to figure out how to stop coughing with hay fever. Coughing is just another allergic immune system response; it is also brought on by pollen irritation and post-nasal drip, so hay fever tablets that treat sinus symptoms are often all it takes to stop the coughing brought on by hay fever. Hay fever rashes, if present, can also be stopped with antihistamines and allergy medications. Relief from itching in the meantime can be had by using lotions and creams like calamine and hydrocortisone (if approved by a doctor), or with natural products like oatmeal.

Sometimes people will talk about a hay fever vaccine or hay fever cure. Like any allergy, there is no real cure for hay fever, but allergy shots taken over time can eliminate your body’s sensitivity and allergic response to the pollen allergens that trigger hay fever in the body. Essentially, allergy shots re-train the body not to react to allergens.

Read up on the history, myths, and misconceptions to learn more old wives’ tales and cool facts about hay fever. Most of all, learn how to manage your allergies and hay fever so that you, too, can enjoy the great outdoors no matter what the season.