Hay Fever

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues

See, Play and Learn

• Videos and Tutorials
• Test Your Knowledge

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Each spring, summer, and fall, trees, weeds, and grasses release tiny pollen grains into the air. Some of the pollen ends up in your nose and throat. This can trigger a type of allergy called hay fever.

Symptoms can include:

• Sneezing, often with a runny or clogged nose
• Coughing and postnasal drip
• Itching eyes, nose and throat
• Red and watery eyes
• Dark circles under the eyes

Your health care provider may diagnose hay fever based on a physical exam and your symptoms. Sometimes skin or blood tests are used. Taking medicines and using nasal sprays can relieve symptoms. You can also rinse out your nose, but be sure to use distilled or sterilized water with saline. Allergy shots can help make you less sensitive to pollen and provide long-term relief.

Start Here

• Allergic Rhinitis (Allergies) (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Hay Fever / Rhinitis (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Also in Spanish
• Seeking Allergy Relief: When Breathing Becomes Bothersome (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Allergy Blood Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Allergy Skin Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Controlling Hay Fever Symptoms with Accurate Pollen Counts (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Also in Spanish
• Pollen (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)

Treatments and Therapies

• 6 Things To Know About Complementary Health Approaches for Seasonal Allergy Relief (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Hay Fever Medications (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
• Is Rinsing Your Sinuses With Neti Pots Safe? (Food and Drug Administration)
• Know Which Medication Is Right for Your Seasonal Allergies (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Saline Sinus Rinse Recipe (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Colds, Allergies and Sinusitis - How to Tell the Difference (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - PDF Also in Spanish

Videos and Tutorials

• Histamine: The Stuff Allergies are Made of (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Test Your Knowledge

• Hay Fever (Allergic Rhinitis) Quiz (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• FastStats: Allergies and Hay Fever (National Center for Health Statistics)
• Prevalence of Allergies the Same, Regardless of Where You Live (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
• Seasonal Allergies at a Glance: What the Science Says (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Probiotics combined with prebiotics alleviated seasonal allergic rhinitis by altering the...
• Article: Profile of cross-reactivity to common pollen allergens in Northwest China based...
• Article: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the benefits of a...
• Hay Fever -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
• Find an Allergist/Immunologist (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Also in Spanish

Children

• Do Allergies Cause Asthma? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Seasonal Allergies (Hay Fever) (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
• Seasonal Allergies in Children (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Allergic rhinitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Allergic rhinitis - self-care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Allergies, asthma, and pollen (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Allergy testing - skin (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish