{"id":1789,"date":"2023-04-19T12:51:45","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T12:51:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/?p=1789"},"modified":"2026-02-09T11:17:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T16:17:15","slug":"allergic-rhinitis-what-is-hay-fever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/allergic-rhinitis-what-is-hay-fever\/","title":{"rendered":"Allergic Rhinitis: What Is Hay Fever"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Allergic rhinitis or hay fever is considered to be an allergic reaction to a substance that causes you to experience different symptoms, such as an itchy nose, congestion, sneezing, coughing, etc. These can be only <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/nose-alllergies\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">nose allergies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, but they might also negatively influence your overall well-being.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For people who suffer from this type of allergy, it is essential to know that they can schedule consultation sessions in institutes such as the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Allergy and Immunology Center<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and get counseling and guidance from trained professionals at these centers. You must know your trigger to get a proper diagnosis and a helpful treatment plan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Is Hay Fever?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1791\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/What-Is-Hay-Fever-.jpg\" alt=\"Sick Woman Blowing Her Nose Against Autumn Scene\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/What-Is-Hay-Fever--200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/What-Is-Hay-Fever--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/What-Is-Hay-Fever--400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/What-Is-Hay-Fever--600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/What-Is-Hay-Fever--768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/What-Is-Hay-Fever--800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/What-Is-Hay-Fever-.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The words hay fever or allergic rhinitis do not tell you much. Today, we wanted to explain in more detail what hay fever is, how it manifests, and what allergic rhinitis symptoms are and offer some potential tactics to help manage the allergy symptoms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Allergic rhinitis is, as mentioned, an allergic reaction to a particle in the air. These particles are called allergens, and when we breathe in the allergens through our mouth or nose, our bodies release a chemical called histamine, which is natural and signals that something is not right. There are several allergens, which can be found both indoors and outdoors, which cause hay fever, and the most common are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dust mites<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mold<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pollen from plants and trees<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pet dander<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Food items<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As opposed to the common cold or rhinitis infection, hay fever is not contagious, and there are some differences between the symptoms. Seasonal allergies develop in the spring, summer, and very early fall because, during this time, flowers, weeds, and trees bloom, and pollen is much more present. Some other types of allergens are present throughout the year, such as those causing perennial allergies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Allergic rhinitis is a widespread condition, and in the U.S., around 20% of the population suffers from some type of hay fever. Millions suffer from allergic rhinitis symptoms yearly so this article will clarify certain aspects of the condition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These types of allergies are primarily hereditary, so it is much more likely that you will suffer from hay fever if your parents or family members have allergies. When it comes to conditions triggering allergic rhinitis, asthma and eczema can be risk factors for this type of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Causes of Allergic Rhinitis\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When your body and the immune system showcase a reaction to an irritant from the air, this means that you might be suffering from allergic rhinitis. The allergens in question are very tiny, and inhaling them through the nose and mouth is relatively easy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Most people are resistant to allergens, so they are considered harmless. Still, if you are diagnosed with hay fever, your immune system will try to protect you at all costs by releasing histamine into the bloodstream and causing different bodily reactions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The release of histamine in the body causes mucous membranes in our eyes, nose, and throat to get inflamed, and you will start to feel itchy because the membranes are working on ejecting the inhaled allergen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As previously stated, allergies can be both seasonal and perennial, and they can result from many different allergens found in various places. So, for instance, you can find dust mites in carpets, bedding, drapes, etc., while pollen can be found in multiple plants and trees. Mold spores, cockroaches, waste, and saliva can also cause hay fever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Other types of allergens are pretty common, including particles derived from food. Still, food allergies can be life-threatening, so be careful and contact your doctor immediately if you start noticing an allergic reaction to something you ate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Hay Fever Symptoms<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When it comes to symptoms, they can be present all throughout the year, although outdoor allergens are worse during spring and early fall because everything blooms in hotter weather. Indoor allergies, on the other hand, are present all year long, including dust mites and pet dander, which tend to worsen during winter because we all spend more time inside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The most common hay fever symptoms include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Congestion (nasal stuffiness)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sneezing\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Runny nose<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Coughing\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Itchy nose<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Itchy eyes and throat\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Increase in the amount of mucus in the throat and nose<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Headaches<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pain in the sinuses<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Darker circles under the eyes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Exhaustion\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Feeling uncomfortable\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sore throat\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wheezing\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Issues with breathing\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wheels on the skin (hive-like welts)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Diagnosing Allergic Rhinitis\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are several ways to diagnose this condition, but most often, the first step is to schedule a consultation with your chosen medical provider. You will be able to discuss your symptoms and medical history with them, and they will take a blood sample to send for testing to measure the antibodies concerning certain allergens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The blood test mentioned is called an IgE test or an immunoglobulin test, and it can discover different types of allergens, including food. Another common test is a skin prick test, which detects which allergens are causing the existing symptoms. This test is painless and accurate, although it might be uncomfortable. A sample of the allergen is placed on the skin, and the doctor waits for the body\u2019s reaction. If the area is red, irritated, and itchy in the next 30 minutes, this means you are allergic to the applied allergen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Please do not do this test at home alone because it needs to be controlled by a trained professional, so schedule testing at your provider\u2019s office.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Treatment Options\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Different allergy medications can help with the existing symptoms and make your life easier. There are various pills, nasal sprays, drops, injections, etc., which can be used, but speak to your doctor first, and let them give you more details and recommendations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You might be recommended to take one of the following:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/drugs\/21223-antihistamines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Antihistamines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (pills, eye drops, sprays, inhalers, or liquids)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Decongestants (pills, liquid, nasal spray)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nasal sprays containing corticosteroids (sprays, inhalers)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Leukotriene inhibitors (medications)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Immunotherapy (injections or allergy shots, pills)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Prevention\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1792\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/Causes-of-Allergic-Rhinitis-.jpg\" alt=\"Woman Sneezing With Tissue in Meadow\" width=\"1000\" height=\"664\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/Causes-of-Allergic-Rhinitis--200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/Causes-of-Allergic-Rhinitis--300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/Causes-of-Allergic-Rhinitis--400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/Causes-of-Allergic-Rhinitis--600x398.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/Causes-of-Allergic-Rhinitis--768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/Causes-of-Allergic-Rhinitis--800x531.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/232\/2023\/04\/Causes-of-Allergic-Rhinitis-.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unfortunately, we cannot prevent hay fever. There are some changes in your lifestyle that you can apply to lower the impact of the symptoms and avoid irritation. These include closing your windows when pollen is high, cleaning your carpets, bedding, etc. regularly, keeping pets off the couches and beds, using filters in the vacuum cleaner and air conditioner, washing your hands often, and similar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Contact Us!\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Let us help you battle your allergies. Call our center and ensure you know all your options for living with allergic rhinitis. Your symptoms do not have to be so severe, so schedule an appointment right now!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Allergic rhinitis or hay fever is considered to be an allergic reaction to a substance<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1790,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[88,89,91,92,90],"class_list":["post-1789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-allergies","tag-allergic-rhinitis","tag-allergic-rhinitis-symptoms","tag-hay-fever","tag-hay-fever-symptoms","tag-what-is-hay-fever"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1789"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1789\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/allergy-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}