Symptoms

• Similar to allergic reactions, hay fever symptoms are triggered immediately after exposure to allergens. Hay fever symptoms can include a runny nose, congestion, sinus pressure, itching sensations in the throat and nose, "allergy shiners" (blue-tinted skin under the eyes) and possibly a decrease in your ability to smell or taste. Severe hay fever symptoms can affect the quality of your daily life by causing irritability, sleeplessness and fatigue. Persistent hay fever symptoms may cause infections such as eczema, sinus infections, ear infections and asthma. People who suffer from indoor allergies to pet dander, dust mites and mold can also develop hay fever due to indoor allergens, which may also lead to year-round hay fever symptoms.
  
  

Diagnosis

• Your physician will ask detailed questions about your medical history as well as your family's medical history. He may also perform a thorough physical exam to determine if you are suffering from hay fever. If you are suffering from persistent hay fever, treatment from an allergist may be the next step for diagnosis and treatment. Allergists can perform skin prick testing and allergy blood testing to determine the exact cause of your hay fever symptoms. Skin testing involves injecting purified allergen liquid into the skin of your arm or back and observing for allergic reactions. If you suffer from an allergy to a certain allergen, you will develop a raised, red bump in the testing area. Allergy blood testing, also known as radioallergosorbent or RAT testing, measures the amount of immunoglobulin (IgE) antibodies in your bloodstream, which in turn shows what allergens you will react to.
  
  

Treatment

• For mild hay fever symptoms over-the-counter medications such as allergy liquids and pills, nasal sprays and decongestants may provide significant relief. For severe hay fever outbreaks you may need to consult your physician about possible allergy liquids, pills, nasal sprays and decongestant prescriptions for effective symptom management. Persistent hay fever may require immunotherapy treatment that involves allergy shots to desensitize your immune system to culprit allergens that trigger hay fever outbreaks. The Mayo Clinic states that children may especially benefit from immunotherapy, which may prevent the development of asthma.
  
  

Risk Factors

• According to the Mayo Clinic, certain people may be at a higher risk for developing hay fever. Risk factors include being the first born, being born during pollen seasons, exposure to dust mites and/or cigarettes during the first year of life and having a family history of allergies.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• Preventing hay fever is possible by limiting your exposure to the allergens that are causing the hay fever. Avoid leaving your windows and doors open during pollen seasons and dry your clothes indoors instead of outdoors where pollen can stick to your clothing. If you suffer from indoor allergens that cause hay fever, invest in allergy-grade filters for your ventilation system, use allergy-proof covers on your mattresses and pillows and vacuum weekly with a vacuum that utilizes a HEPA filter to thoroughly remove dust mites from your home.