What is Hay Fever?
Hay fever is referred to in medical terminology as ‘allergic rhinitis’ hay fever refers to a condition which sees you sneezing a lot more than normal, having a runny nose and itchy eyes, among other common hay fever symptoms. Hay fever is in no ways caused by hay, nor is it a fever.
Hay Fever is caused as a result of exposure to things like ragweed and pollen. While the average human nose is equipped to counter the invasion of such elements, in some situations and with some people, the nose is unable to perform its task to the best of its abilities, allowing a significant percentage of ragweed and other pollen to enter your nose. This will cause you to exhibit allergic rhinitis or hay fever symptoms.
A lot of people argue that technically they should not be susceptible to hay fever and hay fever symptoms as they live in the heart of a big city and are almost never exposed to plants and weeds, or pollen for that matter. You need to understand that where you live has nothing to do with the chances of you exhibiting hay fever symptoms. Pollen travels quite fast in the air and can affect anyone and everyone irrespective of where they live.
What are the Most Common Hay Fever Symptoms?
It is important that you be able to make the distinction between allergic rhinitis or hay fever symptoms and the symptoms commonly associated with a common cold or sinusitis. The reasons why this is important are explained in detail below.
If you find that you have suddenly begun sneezing a lot more than normal or find that you have a runny nose, chances are you have been exposed to pollen of some kind are exhibiting symptoms that are indicative of the early stages of allergic rhinitis or hay fever. Other hay fever symptoms that you should watch out for include a consistent itching sensation in the area around your nose, eyes, the roof of your mouth and your throat.
The one positive with knowing that the above mentioned reactions you experience are hay fever symptoms, is that you do not have to waste any more time trying to diagnose yourself or experimenting with things like cold and flu medication and can instead seek medical help as soon as possible.
What are the Common Hay Fever Remedies Available?
If you are only experiencing a mild case of seasonal allergic rhinitis, then you may not need to visit a doctor just yet. There are a few things you can try at home to help the healing process along. The most popular and effective among hay fever treatments for mild allergic rhinitis is a nasal wash.
All you need for a nasal wash is a saline solution that you can buy from your local pharmacy. Alternatively, you could make the solution yourself with a little warm water, some salt and a pinch of baking powder. Inhaling the solution one nostril at a time, followed by a gentle blowing of the nose is said to work wonders with people who exhibit mild hay fever symptoms.
On the other hand, if you seem to be showing consistent and/or severe signs of allergic rhinitis, it is advisable that you seek medical help. Ideally, one should also be directed to not only see their doctor but also by visiting their local health products retailer to speak to an alternative medicine practitioner about some hay fever remedies that might work for you.
If you have noticed that you only begin to exhibit symptoms of hay fever during peak hay fever season (around the end of the year) then it would be a good idea to begin taking medications to counter any possible hay fever symptoms a few weeks before the onset of hay fever season. This will greatly reduce if not eliminate your chances of falling victim to allergic rhinitis.
Antihistamines and Immunotherapy are other common hay fever treatments, depending upon the severity of the condition and the age of the patient in question.
