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Avamys Nasal Spray from £20
Azelastine Eye Drop from £20
Azelastine Nasal Spray from £26.50
Desloratadine Tablets from £20
Fexofenadine Tablets from £20
Mometasone Nasal Spray from £20
Olopatadine Eye Drops from £20
Advice for Hay Fever
Every summer, up to 1 in 5 people in Britain are affected by hay fever. Hayfever is a common allergic reaction to pollen produced from grass, trees and weeds during spring and summer. It’s known as seasonal rhinitis and it occurs during the time of the year when plants release pollen. Hay fever cases have increased rapidly in the past 30 years, likely due to a rise in global temperatures and increased pollution in large cities that has been shown to trap pollen in the air.
It causes symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes. It may also cause headaches during hay fever season or general feeling of tiredness and unwell. Some patients experience symptoms as early as January or as late as September.
Symptoms vary from person to person. It could be that you experience a mild sniffle during the summer months or you may have more severe symptoms, such as an extremely runny nose, constant sneezing, sore inflamed, itching eyes and chronic nasal congestion.
As hay fever is a chronic condition, there is no ‘cure’. In most people the symptoms of hay fever will ease, to some extent, as they get older. In up to 20% of people they can disappear completely.
Hay fever medications can reduce the unpleasant symptoms of hay fever. They contain ingredients called antihistamines, which stop the allergic reaction which causes hay fever. Histamine is a chemical that your body produces when it is exposed to pollen. It causes the symptoms commonly associated with hay fever. Antihistamines act on certain receptors in your body to block the action of histamine. As a result, the allergic reaction and its symptoms are prevented.
At Pharmacinta, we provide Fexofenadine 180mg medication to manage your symptoms. You can request nasal sprays and eye drops within this service.
Symptoms for hay fever include:
- Itchy or watery eyes
- Itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears
- Sneezing
- Blocked or runny nose
- Loss of smell
- Cough
- Headache
- Earache
- Feeling tired
The severity of your hay fever symptoms may vary from year to year, depending on the weather conditions and the pollen count (the number of grains of pollen in one cubic metre of air).
Most people don’t tend to associate hay fever with tiredness, but it is a common symptom for some sufferers. Fatigue is often a side effect of having a blocked nose or an allergy-related headache keeping you up at night. People with hay fever often lie awake for hours at a time rubbing their eyes or find themselves waking up every so often because a blocked nose obstructs their breathing.
Another symptom of pollen allergies is an earache. While this isn’t as common as other allergic reactions on this list, it’s still a symptom that can cause discomfort to some. In some cases, it can lead to difficulty hearing as well. Earache from hay fever occurs when pollen causes the passages in and around the nose and throat to swell up. This can cause blockages in the ear that can be quite painful.
Headaches are one of the more common symptoms of pollen allergies. Like earache, they are caused when pollen enters the body and causes passages in the nose to swell and become inflamed.
Sneezing is one of the most common hay fever symptoms and is usually the first to appear. It is your body’s way of trying to push out the pollen that enters your system and inflames your nasal passages.
Just as common as sneezing, a blocked or runny nose is another seasonal allergy symptom that can be quite uncomfortable. In some cases, it is also possible to have a nose that feels both blocked and runny! As with other allergic reactions to hay fever on this list, this is caused by the swelling of the nasal passages. The inflammation of these passages causes the blocking, while the runniness is caused by the release of mucus from the passage lining.
Easily one of the most severe and disrupting symptoms of hay fever, red or itchy eyes can impact your day-to-day life by impeding your vision. It occurs when the eyes come into contact with pollen floating about in the air. This causes them to itch and water, becoming red and inflamed. While it’s tempting to rub them to relieve the pain, this only makes the itchiness worse.
Hay fever is a type of allergic rhinitis, an allergic condition that is connected to the immune system. When a person with hay fever is exposed to pollen, their immune system reacts as though the pollen is a harmful substance, and releases chemicals to attack it, including histamine. Histamine causes the blood vessels to expand and the skin to swell, which leads to the distinctive symptoms of hay fever. These symptoms tend to affect the nose, mouth, throat, and eyes.
Hay fever is more common in people with other allergic conditions like asthma, eczema, and food allergies. The reason for this is thought to be genetic and allergies often run in families. It is most common in children and adolescents with a steady decline in the number of people affected from age of 20 onwards.
There are around 30 types of pollen that can cause hay fever, but some are more likely to trigger allergies than others. Normally the smallest, lightest pollen spores that are blown around by the wind are the most likely triggers. You may be allergic to one or several types of pollen.
The types of pollen most likely to trigger hay fever are:
- Tree pollen, produced by trees such as birch, cedar, and oak are common triggers for hay fever in early spring
- Grass pollen is the most common trigger for hay fever and usually occurs in late spring and summer
- Weed pollen like ragweed, sagebrush, pigweed, and tumbleweed are most common in autumn
- Flower pollens are less likely to trigger hay fever, but certain flowers like dahlias, sunflowers, and chrysanthemums can cause hay fever symptoms in late spring and summer
While there is no cure for hay fever, it can be managed with medications that reduce or relieve symptoms. Common treatments for hay fever include antihistamines and nasal sprays.
Antihistamines work by blocking the actions of histamine, the chemical produced by the body in response to a perceived threat. Some antihistamines can cause drowsiness, and though there are non-drowsy antihistamines available, it’s important to make sure you are not affected before driving or operating machinery. If you experience serious side effects from taking any medication, seek medical attention immediately.
Fexofenadine Hydrochloride 180mg is a prescription-only oral antihistamine. One tablet should be swallowed whole with water once a day before food. It normally starts working in around 1-3 hours.
Nasal symptoms of hay fever such as sneezing, and a blocked or runny nose occur very frequently in hay fever sufferers. In some people, hay fever tablets will be enough to treat these symptoms, however, if symptoms are more severe the addition of a hay fever nasal spray may be necessary. These nasal symptoms occur due to the swelling and inflammation of the lining of the nasal passages in response to histamine release. Nasal sprays for hay fever can be used on their own or in addition to hay fever tablets and eye drops.
Hay fever nasal sprays usually contain a corticosteroid (steroid), which helps to reduce inflammation and calm the irritation in the nasal lining. As hay fever steroid nasal sprays are applied to the area of action, they can be administered in very low doses and still be extremely effective. This means that they are unlikely to cause any side effects and still provide relief from the nasal symptoms of hay fever.
Nasonex and Avamys is a prescription-only nasal spray that is used to relieve symptoms of hay fever such as nasal congestion, itching, and runny nose. Nasonex contains a type of corticosteroid medication and works by reducing inflammation and swelling in the nose. It comes in a pump that is sprayed into each nostril and is normally started with two sprays into each nostril once a day. This can be reduced to one spray as symptoms improve. Other steroid nasal sprays are available over the counter.
For people who experience the symptoms of hay fever mainly in their eyes, like running and/or itching, hay fever eye drops may be the most appropriate treatment. Hay fever eye drops such as Opticrom, Optilast and Rapitil all prevent the release of histamine in response to pollen and other allergies and thus help to both relieve and prevent symptoms.
The hay fever eye drops contain the drugs sodium cromoglicate (Opticrom), azelastine (Optilast) and nedocromil sodium (Rapitil). They are each used up to four times daily in each eye depending on response and severity of symptoms. Opticrom, Optilast or Rapitil can be used in combination with hay fever tablets and nasal sprays to help fully control symptoms.
Many antihistamine tablets are available over the counter for the treatment of hay fever, including cetirizine and loratadine. You may be more familiar with the brand names that these medicines are sold under, such as Clarityn, Zirtek, Benadryl and Piriton.
These antihistamine tablets work by altering the way the body reacts to histamine, a chemical released by the body when it thinks it is being attacked by a harmful substance. It is histamine which causes the symptoms of hay fever, such as a runny nose and watery eyes.
Over-the-counter hay fever tablets can be used as an ‘as-required’ treatment, taken when you start to develop the symptoms of hay fever. They can also be used as a preventative measure, such as on days when you know there is a high pollen count and you are likely to experience symptoms.
Nasal sprays may also help with the symptoms of hay fever, particularly sneezing and an itchy or runny nose. Both antihistamines and corticosteroids come in the form of nasal sprays as well as tablets. Eye drops and nasal decongestants can also help with hay fever. If you have persistent symptoms, your doctor might recommend immunotherapy treatment.
Allergen-specific immunotherapy is a procedure in which a small amount of the allergen is administered repeatedly to train your body to react differently to exposure. Whilst it’s a more long-winded approach than taking an instant-relief tablet, this method can produce more long term results if the body starts to accept allergens as harmless.
In addition to taking medication, there are a few things you can do to minimise the effects of hay fever.
- Stay inside when the pollen count is high (over 50 grains per cubic feet of air).
- If you do go outside, wear wraparound sunglasses to reduce the amount of pollen coming into contact with your eyes.
- Apply a small amount of Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen spores.
- Change your clothes and take a shower when you get back indoors to remove any pollen on your clothes or body.
- Keep doors and windows shut.
- Dust and vacuum regularly.
- Use a pollen filter in your car and vacuum cleaner.
- Avoid cutting the grass or walking on the grass.
- Don’t hang clothes outside to dry.
- Don’t keep fresh flowers in the house.
Frequently Asked Questions
As mild to moderate hay fever can usually be effectively controlled with over-the-counter medicines, no formal diagnosis is usually necessary. However, if symptoms are severe, they occur indoors or during winter or cause other complications, a formal diagnosis and further investigations by a doctor may be required. Allergy testing by either a skin prick test or a blood test can help to reveal the cause of the allergy and help to form a management plan.
There are three types of pollen that commonly cause hay fever; grass pollen, tree pollen and weed pollen. The majority of people with hay fever (90%) suffer with an allergy to grass pollen whereas only 25% suffer an allergy to tree pollen and an even smaller minority to weed pollen.
Hay fever season is usually from sometime in March until September. However, different types of pollen may circulate at different times of the year. For example, tree pollen season is usually from late March to mid-May, whereas grass pollen is worse from mid-May to July. Grass pollen from mid-May through to July. Weed pollen normally occurs the latest in the year from the end of June to September.
You can still experience hay fever on holiday and hay fever sufferers should take preventative medication with them to ensure they can keep their symptoms at bay abroad. It is worth noting that as the trees, plants and grasses can vary abroad.
Yes, the daily pollen count can fluctuate greatly depending on the weather. In general, rainy days will clear pollen from the air and mean symptoms will be decreased. Both wind and humidity can cause pollen to spread more easily meaning that symptoms will be worse, as they will be on sunny days where more flowers open.
Antihistamine tablets taken on their own or with eye drops and/or nasal sprays improve the symptoms of hay fever. If you have just nasal or eye symptoms you could try nasal sprays or eye drops first, and then add antihistamine tablets on top if needed. People's response to hay fever treatment varies greatly. For this reason it is a good idea to try different hay fever treatments.
Antihistamines work by blocking the inflammatory actions of histamine. They start to work within 30 minutes of being taken.
The best hay fever medication will be different for different people. For some people, eye drops or nasal sprays will be enough to clear symptoms, but for others, taking oral tablets may be more suitable.
Unfortunately, there is no permanent cure for hay fever. However, you can use a mix of lifestyle tips and medication to significantly improve your symptoms. Helpful lifestyle tips include staying indoors on high pollen days, keeping car windows closed etc and using medicines such as antihistamine tablets, nasal sprays, and hayfever eye drops to control your symptoms.
You can take hayfever tablets every day, especially during the months when the pollen count is highest. You don’t need to take your hayfever tablets at other times of the year if you don’t have any symptoms.
Symptoms usually last for weeks or months when the pollen count is high.
You can buy hay fever tablets in the UK online and over the counter. However, certain hay fever tablets like desloratadine and levocetirizine are only available on prescription.
Fexofenadine is an effective antihistamine and is considered to be a non-sedating antihistamine.
Medicines can work differently for everyone. Some people may find fexofenadine is better than cetirizine but other people will find the opposite.
One tablet will have a beneficial effect for around 24 hours. The antihistamine effect starts around 1 hour after taking a dose, peaks after around 6 hours and is effective for around 24 hours.
The recommended dose for hay fever is one tablet once a day. In some circumstances, your doctor may prescribe higher doses for you but this significantly increases the risk of side effects.
Fexofenadine hydrochloride in the UK is used to improve hay fever symptoms. It can also be prescribed to treat other medical conditions like hives, certain food allergies, and insect bites and stings.
Avamys will treat your symptoms throughout the day and night. Some people will not feel the full effects until several days after first using Avamys. However, it is usually effective within 8 to 24 hours of use.
Intranasal steroid sprays are safe for long-term use, and there is little evidence to indicate they cause significant systemic side effects. However, patients with chronic rhinitis who might use them for long periods should be advised to use them only intermittently and at the lowest dose that controls their symptoms.
No, Avamys is a prescription-only medicine. You may request a prescription online from a registered online doctor service if required.
Yes, as long as each item is individually appropriate for you to take, there is no problem combining an antihistamine tablet, steroid nasal spray and allergy eye drops to keep hay fever symptoms under control.
All antihistamines have a chance of producing drowsiness, though this can vary from person to person. All of the once-daily antihistamines, frequently called non-sedative antihistamines, and have a lot lower incidence of drowsiness compared to the older types of antihistamine (such as chlorphenamine).
Newer once-daily antihistamine tablets are not addictive and they are safe to use for long periods of time. Older antihistamines that are used for nausea and insomnia can produce some dependency when used for long periods.
As long as all of the hay fever treatments are used as advised, and they are only used during hay fever season, their effects will not diminish over time with continued use.
