What is hayfever?

Hayfever is a very common condition, affecting 2 to 3 million people in Britain every year. It is caused by an allergy to pollen or sometimes mould spores. In hayfever the body's immune system over reacts to the presence of external substances, as if they were something toxic. This results in irritation and inflammation.

Hayfever often runs in families, and is also related to asthma and eczema. It is quite common to find a family with some members with asthma, some with hayfever, and some with eczema. Any individual might have more than one of these conditions.

Causes of hayfever

Different pollens are present at different times of year and thus the time that you are affected depends on the pollen to which you are allergic. Other factors which may aggravate the situation are the weather and the air quality.

Treatment

There are various treatments, some of which are available over the counter from a pharmacist. Antihistamine tablets or medicine reduce the effect on the body of one of the main chemicals released by the allergic response.

There are nasal sprays which contain steroids and other substances which reduce the local inflammatory response in the nose. There are also eye drops which have similar effects on the eye. Those people with asthmatic symptoms need treatment as for asthma.

Occasionally the doctor may consider it necessary to prescribe either tablets containing steroids, or an possibly an injection. These can have more serious side effects than the other treatments, so the possible benefits have to be weighed against the possible disadvantages. There are currently thought to be arguments in favour of the tablets rather than the injection.

There are injection treatments to desensitise patients against the substance to which they are allergic. Unfortunately these can bring on serious reactions, and can only be given under close hospital supervision, and are thus hardly ever used.