Should I use this page, or skip it?
Use this page for seasonal sneezing, itchy eyes and a runny nose, and for pharmacy first steps. Skip it and call 999 if you cannot breathe or your lips or tongue are swelling. Skip it and follow your asthma action plan if this is an attack, not itchy eyes.
Hay fever is an allergy, not an infection. There is no cure. The aim is control: less pollen reaching you, plus medicines that blunt the reaction. This page will not name your exact pollen. It will help you match the UK season, choose pharmacy treatment, and know when a GP is the next door.
If your rash is the main problem, see eczema. If wheeze is the main problem, treat it as asthma until a clinician says otherwise.
What is hay fever, in plain English?
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, also called seasonal allergic rhinitis. Pollen inflames the nose, eyes and throat, causing sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, and itchy watery eyes. Some people also get an itchy throat or ears, a cough, headache, or feel wiped out.
It is not a cold. A cold usually fades in 1 to 2 weeks. Hay fever can last for weeks or months while the pollen you react to is in the air. Some people also lose smell or get sinus-type pain. You cannot catch it from someone else. It often runs in families alongside eczema and asthma.
You can be allergic to one pollen type or several. That is why some people suffer in April, others in June, and some from spring through late summer. Checking a pollen forecast, such as the Met Office, is more useful than guessing from the weather alone.
Which UK pollen season is likely to be mine?
UK hay fever is usually worse between late March and September, especially on warm, humid, windy days. Different plants peak at different times. Timing shifts with the weather and is often later and shorter in the north. Urban and coastal counts are often lower than inland countryside.
| Pollen type | Typical UK high season | What people often notice |
|---|---|---|
| Tree pollen | Late March to mid-May | Spring sneezing and itchy eyes, sometimes before “summer hay fever” is expected |
| Grass pollen | Mid-May to July | The most common trigger; many people are worst in early summer |
| Weed pollen | Late June to September | Later-summer symptoms after grass has peaked |
These windows overlap. If you are bad from April to August, you may be reacting to more than one type. You do not need a hospital test before trying pharmacy treatment. If symptoms are year-round, dust mites or pets may be involved rather than pollen alone, and a GP can sort that out.
What can I try from a pharmacist?
Speak to a pharmacist first. They can suggest antihistamines as tablets, drops or nasal sprays, and steroid nasal sprays. Non-drowsy options such as loratadine or fexofenadine are often better for daytime work or driving than older, sleepy antihistamines. There is no cure, so the aim is control through the season. Find a GPhC-registered pharmacy on Pick My Pharmacy.
Steroid nasal sprays treat inflammation inside the nose. They are not instant decongestants. NICE advice is to start them about two weeks before you usually get symptoms, because the full effect can take that long. Use them regularly through your season, with the technique the pharmacist shows you. Ask which products are suitable if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or buying for a child.
Antihistamines ease itch, sneezing and a runny nose. They are not a treatment for anaphylaxis. If one non-drowsy antihistamine does not help after a fair trial, a pharmacist may suggest another, or adding a nasal spray rather than stacking sleepy tablets.
What else helps besides tablets and sprays?
Cut pollen exposure where you reasonably can. Put petroleum jelly around the nostrils to trap pollen. Wear wraparound sunglasses, a mask or a wide-brimmed hat. Shower and change clothes after being outside. Keep windows shut when counts are high, and dust with a damp cloth.
A pollen filter in car vents, if you have one, can help. Vacuum regularly.
Do not cut grass or walk on grass when you are bad. Do not dry washing outside. Do not keep fresh flowers in the house. Smoke makes symptoms worse. Pets can carry pollen indoors. None of this is a cure, and you do not have to do every item perfectly for medicines to be worth using.
Saline nasal rinses are an option some people find soothing. They are not a substitute for a steroid spray if your symptoms are moderate or severe.
When does hay fever need a GP?
See a GP if symptoms are getting worse or pharmacy medicines are not enough. See a GP if hay fever wrecks sleep, exams or work, or if asthma is slipping — more night cough, more reliever use, or a tighter chest in pollen season. Treating the nose often helps the chest, but hay fever tablets do not replace inhalers.
A GP may prescribe a different steroid preparation or discuss other options. If usual treatments fail, they may refer you for immunotherapy: small amounts of pollen given as a tablet or injection to build tolerance. That is a specialist decision, usually started months before the season, not a same-day pharmacy swap.
Get urgent help for one-sided blockage, blood-stained nasal discharge, or repeated nosebleeds. Call 999 for severe breathing difficulty, swelling of the lips or tongue, or an asthma attack that is not responding to your plan. In England, Scotland and Wales you can call 111 (NHS 24 in Scotland) if you are unsure; in Northern Ireland use GP out-of-hours on nidirect.
Who is this page not for?
This page is not for anaphylaxis. It is not an asthma-attack protocol. It is not a diagnosis of sinus infection, nasal polyps, or a one-sided blockage that needs ENT review. It will not tell you to stop a prescribed inhaler because the pollen count is low today.
If your only symptom is a short viral cold in winter, use the common cold page instead. If the problem is a dry, itchy skin rash, start with eczema.
Common questions about hay fever
- What causes hay fever?
- Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, a fine powder from trees, grasses or weeds. The immune system treats pollen as a threat and releases chemicals that inflame the nose, eyes and throat. It is not contagious and it is not a cold.
- When is hay fever season in the UK?
- Symptoms are usually worse between late March and September. Tree pollen is typically highest from late March to mid-May, grass pollen from mid-May to July, and weed pollen from late June to September. Timing varies with weather and where you live. Grass pollen is the most common trigger.
- Can hay fever be cured?
- There is no cure, and you cannot fully prevent it. Most people can control symptoms with pollen-avoidance steps plus pharmacy antihistamines and steroid nasal sprays. If those fail, a GP may discuss prescription options or, in some cases, immunotherapy.
- Should I start treatment before the pollen season?
- Yes for steroid nasal sprays. NICE advice is to restart them about two weeks before you expect symptoms, because the full effect can take that long. Non-drowsy antihistamines such as loratadine or fexofenadine are often taken daily through the season. Ask a pharmacist which combination suits you.
- What is the difference between hay fever and a cold?
- Hay fever is an allergy and can last weeks or months while pollen is high. A cold is a virus and usually eases within 1 to 2 weeks. Itch in the eyes, nose, throat or ears points more to hay fever. A high temperature points more to an infection.
- Can hay fever make asthma worse?
- Yes. Pollen can trigger wheeze, cough and breathlessness in people with asthma. Treat the nose as well as the chest, and do not use hay fever tablets as a substitute for your inhalers. See a GP or asthma nurse if you need your reliever more often. Call 999 for an asthma attack.
- Which antihistamine should I choose?
- A pharmacist can help you pick a non-drowsy option for daytime use, such as loratadine or fexofenadine. Older antihistamines can make you sleepy. If one type does not help after a fair trial, switching is reasonable. Antihistamines are not a treatment for anaphylaxis.
- When should I see a GP for hay fever?
- See a GP if pharmacy treatment is not controlling symptoms, they are getting worse, or they disturb sleep, work or school. See a GP if you also have eczema that is flaring, or asthma that is slipping. Unilateral blocked nose, blood-stained discharge or recurrent nosebleeds need medical review, not another hay fever spray.