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If you have hay fever, you may react to one or more common inhaled allergens. No matter what you're allergic to, the underlying cause of your misery is the same. During a process called sensitization, your immune system mistakenly identifies the allergen as an invader and produces an antibody against it called immunoglobulin E (IgE).
The next time you're exposed to the allergen, your immune system launches an allergic reaction. The IgE antibodies trigger the release of inflammatory chemicals, including histamine, which swells the mucous membranes in your nose, sinuses and eyes, causing a runny nose, watery eyes and sneezing.
Hay fever doesn't mean that you're necessarily allergic to hay. Despite its name, hay fever is almost never triggered by hay, and it doesn't cause a fever. It got its name in the early 1800s when British doctors noticed that some rural residents experienced sneezing, itchy eyes and coughing after exposure to cut hay or grass. At the time, doctors didn't realize that the probable culprit was an allergic reaction to pollen or mold. They called the condition a "fever" because it caused nervousness, one of the old English definitions of fever. Most hay fever reactions are triggered by seasonal allergens or by environmental allergens that are present year-round.
Seasonal hay fever symptoms can be caused by:
Tree pollen, common in the spring
Grass pollen, common in the late spring and summer
Weed pollen, common in the fall
Spores from fungi and molds, which can be worse during warm weather months
Year-round (perennial) signs and symptoms can be caused by:
Dust mites
Animal dander (dried skin flakes and saliva)
Cockroaches
Spores from indoor and outdoor fungi and molds
Heredity plays a key role in determining who gets allergies, including hay fever. You may be more likely to develop hay fever if allergies or asthma runs in your family.
Although hay fever can begin at any age, you're most likely to develop it during childhood or early adulthood. As you get older, your symptoms may worsen or improve. The severity of hay fever tends to diminish slowly, often over decades.
