Is it a fever? No, it’s not. If you feel feverish, some other illness has been added.

Is it caused by hay? Well, yes - but also by many other sources of allergens - triggers of allergic reactions.

Better call it allergic rhinitis or pollenosis, a sensitivity to pollen.

How Hay Fever Occurs

Anyone can develop an allergy to a common substance, but those who do usually have inherited the tendency as a family trait. The sensitivity is developed after exposure to the substance.

During the seasons when plants are pollinating, everyone in the vicinity is exposed. People with the tendency may develop sensitivity to any one or more of the pollens, although certain pollens are more allergenic -- more likely to cause allergic reaction -- than others.

Pollens that are light enough to be windborne are the offenders for most hay fever sufferers. Heavier pollens that are borne from plant to plant by bees and other insects can also be allergens, but they cause trouble only when a person comes into direct contact with the plant. Airborne pollens can penetrate anywhere, indoors and out, and are most numerous at the height of the pollinating season for the particular plant.

What are the Effects?

Sneezing, repeated and prolonged, is the most common mark of the hay fever sufferer. The stuffy and watery nose described in the word rhinitis is usually a chief feature, along with redness, swelling and itching of the eyes; itching of the nose, throat and mouth; and itching or other ear difficulties. Breathing difficulties at night due to obstruction of the nose may interfere with sleep.

These effects differ in degree according to the individual, ranging from mild to severe. When severe, they are hard to bear, reduce efficiency and may cause loss of time from work and school.

Even more serious may be the affects of complications of hay fever attacks repeated year after year. Chronic sinusitus - inflammation of the sinus cavities - is one. Affected people can also get headaches, ear problems, sleep disturbance or asthma (widespread narrowing of the smaller airways in attacks that end spontaneously or as a result of treatment).

The Seasons for Hay Fever

Trees, grasses and weeds have windborne pollen. According to sensitivity, the "hay fever season" for a particular individual occurs when the plants that affect him or her pollinate. Thus, in general, those sensitive to tree pollens (such as elm, maple, birch, poplar and others) suffer in the early spring. Late spring and early summer is the time for the grasses (including june, orchard and timothy), to affect nearly half of all hay fever sufferers.

Weeds, such as ragweed, flourish in Eastern and Midwestern Canada and pollinate from mid-August to mid-fall. Of people with hay fever, 75 per cent are sensitive to ragweed. But an individual may react to one or more pollens in more than one of these groups, so that his own "season" may be from early spring to the first frost.

For that matter, a person sensitive to dust, to dog dander, or to some other airborne material from which he cannot easily escape may suffer all year round.

Mold and fungus spores (seeds), also airborne substances during the summer months, cause reactions in many people. Frequently found around hay, straw and dead leaves, their growth is encouraged by humid weather and places with poor ventilation -- damp basements, for instance.

What is Sensitivity?

Sensitivity is established when the tissues that form antibodies (lymphoid tissues) are stimulated to make specialized allergic antibodies to the otherwise harmless pollens, spores, etc. These antibodies fix to other specialized cells throughout the body that contain powerful substances such as histamine. When the individual next is exposed to the pollen (as in the nose, for instance) the antibodies trigger the cells to secrete their substances locally. This in turn causes the dilatation of blood vessels, increased secretion of fluids, swelling of tissues, itching, sneezing, et cetera, that add up to hay fever.

The inflammation and other symptoms - while real enough, as every sufferer knows - actually are not of the same destructive nature as those caused by more serious diseases. Removing the cause of the reaction results in immediate relief. The reactions are reversible.

How to Control Hay Fever

Avoiding the offending substance is the best way to control hay fever. Remember that the plant pollens and fungus spores that cause the symptoms originate mainly outdoors. If windows are kept closed, exposure indoors is largely eliminated. This can be accomplished with an air conditioner. If a window-type air conditioner is used, the vent should be kept closed.

Many types of medicines are now available. Antihistamines are useful but should be used in a dose that causes no side effects. Often a single dose before bedtime is a good method. In addition, regular use during the season of difficulties in a dose that causes no side effects is usually best. Prescription nose sprays to be used in addition to or as an alternative to antihistamine can be very helpful. Locally active cortisone-active (steroid) nasal sprays are effective and safe. Cromoglycate spray as a powder or liquid for the nose can also be helpful. "Over-the counter" nose sprays should be avoided. Eyedrops containing antihistamine and decongestant or cromoglycate can be very effective for eye symptoms. If symptoms are sufficiently severe despite these medications, such that it is not possible to sleep or function normally, prednisone tablets can be added by your doctor for a short time to get over the worst of the symptoms. Another approach is allergen injection treatment (desensitization, "allergy shots").

How Injections Work

The substance to which the person is allergic is injected; the dose is very small at the beginning but gradually increases as the tolerance of the body increases. When this happens, there is also a tolerance to the material that is inhaled. In treating hay fever, it is usually reasonable to start by decreasing exposure and use of medications. If these methods do not provide sufficient improvement, then injection treatment can be added. There are promising new approaches to injection treatment including one type for ragweed allergy where only 4 injections are needed just prior to the season. If injections cause side effects the dose should be decreased or they should be stopped without delay. When symptoms seem to be stable for two years, it is reasonable to stop the injections and see whether it is possible to get along well without them.

The Sufferer and the Doctor

The hay fever sufferer should be examined by his or her doctor and follow the doctor’s advice thereafter. The common mistakes of trying all the new patent medicines that are advertised each year, or of shopping around from doctor to doctor should be avoided.

If You Are a Hay Fever Victim, REMEMBER:

1. Much more can be done than ever before. If you can, get away from the substance that causes your reaction. Air conditioning and closed windows may help you rest, sleep and work. Use antihistamines at the time of symptoms in a dose that causes no side effects. Remember that they can make you sleepy. Avoid alcohol at the same time. Be very careful with driving or work around machinery. There are a number of good prescription medications used locally in the nose and eyes. If your doctor thinks injections should be tried start them well before the hay fever season and stick to them without skipping.
2. By trying different approaches, relief can generally be achieved without any side effects from treatment.