What is hay fever and how can it be treated?

If you find yourself suffering from itchy eyes, sneezing and a runny nose, then it is possible that you are suffering from hay fever. Hay fever is thought to affects over 10 million people in England, so it is likely to affect you or a close friend or family member. If this is the case then there is no need to panic and lock yourself into a windowless room, instead there are antihistamine treatments available which could help to ease your symptoms, making the condition more bearable. Hay fever is an extremely common condition in the United Kingdom, with around 20% of people believed to suffer from it. You are more likely to end up with hay fever if you come from a family that has a history of allergies, especially asthma or eczema.
Hay fever is a form of allergic rhinitis that is an allergic reaction to pollen spores, which causes the nose to swell. Hay fever affects the nose, throat, eyes and sinuses. As a result of the areas of the body that hay fever affects, the typical symptoms of hay fever are sneezing, a runny nose and watering/itchy eyes. Hay fever is a condition which is most prevalent in the spring and summer months when trees and flowers begin to blossom and release their pollen. Although the condition can also occur at other times of the year or can affect people intermittently throughout these seasons.
Hay fever is caused when the body overreacts to the pollen spores that enter the body. Believing that it is under attack, the body releases histamines to try and defend itself from the pollen spores. This is what causes the allergic reaction, triggering symptoms such as runny noses and sneezing when pollen enters the nose and throat, or watery and itchy eyes when the pollen comes into contact with the eyes.
Hay fever is not a condition that can be cured; however there are a number of antihistamine tablets on the market that can be used to help ease the symptoms of the condition. Antihistamines work by blocking the histamines that the body produces when the body thinks that it is under attack. This, in turn, prevents the symptoms of the allergic reaction from happening. Antihistamines, such as Cetirizine Hydrochloride , are very effective at treating the itching, sneezing and watery eyes associated with hay fever, but may not help to clear a blocked nose.
Cetitizine Hydrochloride can be used as a treatment for the symptoms of hay fever and other allergies. This allows people to get on with their lives, instead of having to hide away trying to fight off the uncomfortable symptoms related with these conditions.