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Hay fever – it’s nothing to sneeze at!

Springtime not only brings out the sun and beautiful blooms, but allergies too!

Hay fever is the most common allergic disorder in Australia, affecting one in five people. Pollen from trees, grass, and weeds is one of the main triggers for seasonal allergies at this time of year.

In this month’s blog, we take a closer look at hay fever and the symptoms, prevention and treatments available.

What is hay fever?

Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, occurs when a person comes into contact with environmental allergens that they have a sensitivity to. It can be caused by a number of triggers, the most common being pollens, dust mites, mould, and animal dander.

When these allergen particles get trapped in the nose – which acts as a natural filter – the immune system responds by triggering an allergic reaction and will try to protect the body by allowing the nasal passages to become inflamed and produce more mucus.

This video from the National Allergy Council gives a good overview of hay fever – https://youtu.be/SWSH8eDhp_I?si=RRRAJOhFXQuIvApp

Grass pollen is the main outdoor allergen during spring and early summer; and with Western Australia experiencing above average rainfall over winter, some reports have suggested that hay fever season will be longer and more severe for sufferers this year.

Symptoms

Some of the more immediate signs and symptoms of hay fever include:

  • Runny, itchy or congested nose
  • Sneezing
  • Itchy, watery eyes
  • Snoring

Mild to moderate symptoms tend not to affect a person’s day-to-day functioning too badly.

However, more severe symptoms can have a greater impact on one’s quality of life, including through:

  • Sleep disturbance
  • Daytime tiredness
  • Headaches
  • Poor concentration
  • Recurrent ear infections in children or sinus infections in adults
  • Greater difficulty controlling asthma

Those with grass pollen allergies are also at greater risk of thunderstorm asthma, which can occur even if you have never had asthma before.

Thunderstorm asthma occurs when rain droplets crash into airborne pollen and break the pollen grains into tiny particles. These particles can then get further and deeper inside your lungs than larger pollen grains and rapidly trigger asthma symptoms.

There have been a number of these events in Australia in recent years, including one in 2024 in Albury Wodonga, which saw over 100 people presenting to local hospital emergency departments, and the world’s largest recorded event in Melbourne in 2016, which saw 10 deaths and a 672% increase in the number of people presenting to emergency departments with respiratory related complications.

Prevention

The best prevention for hay fever is trying to avoid the allergens that trigger your allergies as much as possible.

For those who react to pollen, you can reduce your exposure by:

  • Staying indoors as much as possible during pollen season, particularly when it is windy or thunderstorms are forecast.
  • Avoid activities that trigger your symptoms, such as mowing grass and weeding.
  • Shower immediately after activities where you may have had a high exposure to pollen.
  • Keep the windows in your house and car closed and use recirculating air conditioning in the car.
  • Avoid hanging your clothes or bed linen outside to dry, if possible.

If you have a dust mite allergy, try:

  • Washing your bed linen in hot water once a week.
  • Using dust mite resistant covers on your mattress, pillows and bedding.
  • Removing sheepskins, woollen underlays and soft toys from your bed and bedroom.
  • Using a damp cloth to dust surfaces in your house once a week.

Those with mould allergies should:

  • Remove any visible mould by cleaning with bleach or other mould reduction cleaners.
  • Ensure adequate natural ventilation, including extractor fans.
  • Avoid working with garden compost and mulch.

For those with allergies from animal dander, try and keep your pets out of your bedroom and preferably outside, if possible.

The Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy website offers a range of strategies to help you prevent hay fever.

AirHealth monitors daily pollen levels from 1 October to 31 December and provides forecasts to help people better prepare and manage their hay fever. You can track local pollen levels and forecasts through their website at – https://www.perthpollen.com.au/

Treatments

There are a number of over-the-counter medications available to help treat hay fever symptoms, including:

  • Intranasal corticosteroid sprays – these contain low dose steroids and are safe for long-term use.
  • Antihistamines – these are effective in relieving symptoms and are available without prescription from a pharmacy.
  • Saline nasal sprays – to help clear nasal decongestion.
  • Decongestant nasal sprays or tablets – these should only be used for a maximum of 5 days. Pregnant women and those with high blood pressure should not use decongestants at all.

If your symptoms persist, or are having a negative impact on your day-to-day activities, you should discuss additional treatment options with your general practitioner. They may recommend a referral to a clinical immunology/allergy specialist for further assessment and allergy testing.

Allergen immunotherapy

Allergen immunotherapy is another long-term treatment option for hay fever sufferers. It involves desensitisation by gradually increasing exposure to a known allergen by injection or sublingual drops or tablets. Treatment is usually undertaken for 3 to 5 years and is available to those aged 5 and over.

Illawarra Medical Centre offers allergen immunotherapy to patients suffering from allergies caused by grass pollen and house dust mites.

This treatment is best for those suffering with moderate to severe hay fever who find that:

  • it impacts their quality of life;
  • symptoms aren’t adequately controlled by symptomatic medication and allergen avoidance measures;
  • they experience side effects to existing medication; and/or
  • they would prefer not to use ongoing medication to treat allergies.

Treatments Available at Illawarra Medical Centre

We use Oralair® – the first registered temperate grass sub-lingual immunotherapy tablet in Australia and New Zealand – to treat grass pollen allergies.

For house dust mite allergies, we use Actair® – the first registered immunotherapy tablet for treatment of house dust mite allergies in Australia.

To make an allergy appointment with one of our GPs, contact our Reception on (08) 9208 6400.

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