Hay fever

Also called Allergic rhinitis, Seasonal allergy

Around one in four adults. Trivial as an illness, and it demonstrably costs children exam grades.

What it is

Hay fever affects around 25% of adults and up to 40% of children in the UK. It is not serious, and it is not trivial either.

The immune system reacts to pollen as if it were a threat, releasing histamine and causing inflammation in the nose, eyes and airways.

The reason it earns an entry: British research has found that pupils sitting exams in the summer with hay fever symptoms, and particularly those taking sedating antihistamines, do measurably worse than predicted. GCSEs and A-levels fall squarely in grass pollen season.

It also worsens asthma substantially. Treating the nose improves the chest, and that link is regularly missed.

Signs you might notice

Sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, itchy eyes, nose and throat.

Symptoms following a seasonal pattern: tree pollen in spring, grass in early summer, weeds later.

Fatigue and poor concentration, from both the symptoms and the broken sleep.

Worsening asthma symptoms during pollen season.

Year-round symptoms suggest a different allergen, such as house dust mite or a pet, rather than hay fever.

How it can affect day-to-day life

Sleep is disrupted by nasal blockage, and daytime fatigue follows. Teachers and employers see inattention.

Sedating antihistamines, the older ones such as chlorphenamine, cause drowsiness and impair performance. Non-sedating ones do not, and the difference matters enormously in exam season.

People start treatment when symptoms arrive, which is too late for the most effective treatment.

Supporting someone well

Start a steroid nasal spray one to two weeks before the season begins. It takes days to work fully and is far more effective than starting in a flare.

Learn the spray technique: head slightly forward, opposite hand, aim towards the ear on that side, and do not sniff hard. Most people spray at the septum, which does nothing.

Use non-sedating antihistamines. Check the packet before exam season.

Wear wraparound sunglasses, shower and change clothes after being outside, and dry washing indoors on high pollen days.

Treat the nose to help the chest in anybody with asthma.

Ask about immunotherapy for severe hay fever that does not respond, which desensitises over years and works.

Where to get help

A pharmacist can advise and supply most treatments.

A GP for severe symptoms, poorly controlled asthma, or referral for immunotherapy.

Allergy UK run a helpline on 01322 619898.