5 Interesting Facts About Hay Fever That You Need to Know

Have you ever been enjoying a warm summer’s day in your yard or local park, only to notice that you can hear a lot of people sneezing? Have you wondered why people sneeze more in summer? There is a lot to do with drier air, but for as many as 75% or more of Americans, the cause is hay fever. 

If you suffer from seasonal allergies that get worse in summer, you may want to spend as much time as you can indoors, away from all that pesky pollen. However, this may not be the way to treat hayfever, and it is well worth knowing a bit more about if you suffer from it.

So, here are five interesting facts about hay fever to get you started.

There Are Different Types

Hay fever is an umbrella term that describes any issue related to pollen in the air. So, if you sneeze when you are in a field of flowers, it’s likely you have hayfever.

However, rather than there being different variations of the allergy, there are different causes that can worsen someone’s symptoms. These include allergies to grass pollen, tree pollen, and weed pollen. 

If you have hay fever in the early spring, the trees are to blame. If it worsens in summer, you likely have grass pollen, and if it carries on until early autumn, then you have weed pollen. Either way, all of these can be treated or managed with fexofenadine 120mg at chemistclick.co.uk.

There Is a Genetic Component

Sadly, if your mother, grandma, and older brother suffer from hay fever, for example, there is a greater likelihood that you will as well. Plus, if you have hayfever and have children, they are at a higher risk of developing it later in life.

Not only that, but there is a link between an incidence of hay fever and suffering from other allergies too. 

It Has a Higher Prevalence in Certain Countries

Interestingly, on a global scale, there are differences in how prevalent hay fever is. For instance, in the UK, there is a higher allergy per 100 people to grass pollen and tree pollen; whereas in the United States, there is less grass pollen and tree pollen; so fewer people suffer from hayfever per 100. In Austria, more people suffer from weed-based pollen allergies.

It Rarely Occurs on Its Own

As hinted at earlier, hay fever rarely occurs on its own and is linked to a higher incidence of allergies overall. 

However, researchers into hay fever have found a link between hayfever, asthma, and eczema. These are all conditions under the umbrella of atopy allergies; so if you suffer from asthma, you have a higher risk of developing eczema and hayfever.

It’s Not Even the Pollen

You have a runny nose and itchy throat caused by your neighbor’s flowers. Interestingly, it is not the pollen that is causing these symptoms, but you, yourself. Histamines, which cause the symptoms of hay fever, are a natural response when the body feels it is under threat and seeks to remove the offending intruder via sneezing and coughing, much like the common cold. So, to treat pollen-based allergies, your best bet is to opt for antihistamines.