Pharmacist reveals the lesser-known symptoms of condition that affects over 400,000,000 people worldwide
Seasonal health issues may come and go, but you might not even realize you’ve come down with this one thing.
From Spring through until the end of Summer, many people will experience things like runny eyes, a leaking nose, itchy eyes, and maybe even a cough.
All of these things are typical ailments of being out during pollen season.
When a person becomes irritated by the pollen drifting in the breeze thanks to the pollination process carried out by birds and bees, it’s called hay fever.
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According to the New Victoria Hospital, 400 million people in the world suffer from this common issue.
Shockingly, the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, shares that 40 million of those cases are in the US alone.
But what you might not know is that that number could be higher, because there are those out there who have lesser-known symptoms; that can be shrugged off as other issues.
According to Niamh McMillan Pharmacy Superintendent at Superdrug, there are a few signs you could have allergies.
“Hay fever isn’t always obvious. Many symptoms can mimic colds, sinus infections or even other health conditions,” Niamh said. “Recognising these lesser-known signs is key to finding the right treatment early on.”
So, what are they?
Headaches
According to Niamh, headaches can be symptomatic of hay fever because it 'can cause inflammation and blockage in the sinuses, which creates pressure in the forehead and around the eyes.’
She went on to say that, ‘this pressure can lead to headaches that many mistake for tension or migraines.’
If you’re looking for something to help, Niamh points people to a ‘fast acting antihistamine that provides relief for up to 24 hours.’
Pain in the facial area
A sore face isn’t typically what you’d associate with hay fever, but according to the pharmacist, it can happen.
She said: “When the sinuses become congested due to an allergic reaction, it can lead to facial discomfort or even sharp pain around the cheeks and eyes.
“It’s often confused with sinusitis, but can be allergy-related.”
To help you with your painful nasal congestion, a saline nasal spray will create a ‘protective barrier in the nose to reduce contact with airborne allergens.’
Painful inner ears
Not only can hay fever impact your sinuses and head, but also your ears too.
Niamh explains: “Hay fever can affect the ears too. The inflammation caused by allergens can block the Eustachian tubes – the small passageways that connect the throat to the middle ear, leading to a feeling of fullness, pressure or even earache. This is a hay fever symptom that’s often overlooked or misdiagnosed, especially as it doesn’t immediately seem connected to pollen allergies. But for many, it’s a tell-tale sign of hay fever flare ups.”
Loss of Smell
Losing your sense of smell happens more often than you’d think – despite it being commonly associated with a cold or flu virus.
Agreeing, Niamh shares: “Blocked nasal passages from hay fever can interfere with your sense of smell, something many associate with colds or COVID, but it's also a lesser-known allergy symptom.
Again, a saline nasal spray ‘is ideal for helping’ as it will ‘clear nasal passages and helping restore your sense of smell.’
Oddly, hay fever can also be caused by things other than pollen.
According to the Mayo Clinic, hay fever, is also known as allergic rhinitis, and it causes symptoms like a ‘runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, sneezing and sinus pressure’ and is caused by ‘an allergic response to a harmless outdoor or indoor substance the body identifies as harmful.’
According to the organization, allergens that can trigger hay fever symptoms include things like pollen and dust mites, little flecks of skin that cats shed, dogs, and other animals.
However, per the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, there is a type of hay fever that is all year round, known as perennial allergic rhinitis, which is typically caused by the non-pollen triggers.
Britt Jones