Hay Fever, or allergic rhinitis, is caused when the immune system overreacts to certain airborne substances. Although allergic rhinitis is rarely dangerous, it can cause serious discomfort. The most common trigger for hay fever is pollen from flowering plants, although grass and fungal spores can also cause an allergic reaction. If you only experience symptoms in the spring or fall, you probably have seasonal rhinitis. Perennial rhinitis is when the hay fever symptoms last all year long. Most hay fever symptoms have to do with the immune system producing far too much mucus. The purpose of the mucus is to capture the offending pollen and eliminate it from the respiratory system.
Unfortunately, the overproduction of phlegm can cause serious distress for all areas of the respiratory system. The nasal passages and sinuses can become blocked with excess phlegm, which leads to sinus pain, a runny nose, sneezing, ear pain, headaches, and watery eyes. Sometimes a severe and long lasting bout of hay fever can lead to a sinus or ear infection. In most cases, the symptoms will go away soon after the cause has been removed, which is why seasonal rhinitis clears up when the offending plants and trees stop producing pollen.
1. Ear Pain
The ear canals are connected to the sinuses directly, and they are highly sensitive to sinus pressure. When an allergy causes the sinuses to fill with mucus, the pressure behind the eardrum increases, which leads to ear pain. Sometimes the immune system’s overreaction to pollen can cause the inner ear to create or retain excess fluid, which closes off the canal and can quickly lead to a painful ear infection. Children are particularly susceptible to earaches that become infections.
If the ears fill with excess fluid it may become difficult to hear and you may find that you are more sensitive to changes in air pressure. Your ears may feel like they need to pop or open up. It can be helpful to try sleeping with your head slightly elevated so that fluid does not have the chance to build up in one ear or the other while you sleep. Usually the pain and pressure that accompany allergic rhinitis are not dangerous, they are only uncomfortable. If the pain becomes intense or does not go away after a few days it is a good idea to visit a doctor to make sure an infection has not set in. An untreated infection could lead to permanent damage and hearing loss.
2. Congestion
One of the most noticeable and persistent signs of allergic rhinitis is acute congestion. The body’s main defense against invaders in the respiratory system is to create enough mucus to trap and expel the tiny particles through coughing or sneezing. Congestion occurs in different ways for different people. Some may experience painful sinus pressure underneath the eyes, while others may find their nasal passages fill up constantly so that it is difficult to breathe. This symptom will last as long as the pollen or spores are in the air and being breathed into the lungs. While it is incredibly uncomfortable, it is generally not dangerous and will usually go away as the seasons shift.
3. Loss of Smell
The excess mucus of a hay fever attack blocks up the nasal passages, which makes it difficult for a sufferer to smell anything. Sometimes things will still smell, but they do not smell like they normally would. The most common complaint about a loss of the ability to smell is that it makes food tasteless. Many people have difficulty eating when they are suffering from an allergy attack because taste is so directly tied to smell. Sometimes even after the nasal passages have cleared they are still traumatized from the congestion and do not relay accurate smell signals to the brain until they have had some time to recover.
4. Runny Nose
A common hay fever symptom is a constantly running nose. Some of the excess mucus being produced by the immune system stays packed into the sinus passages, but some of it will travel to the nose where it can leak out as it continues to build up. A runny nose can further irritate the nasal passages and cause constant sneezing or sniffling. Nose running is the most obvious and active part of the body trying to expel the pollen or spores because it is one way for the mucus to exit the system and remove the perceived threat to the body’s health.
5. Itchy Eyes
The body protects the eyes by producing fluid, or tears, to wash foreign objects away. In the case of allergies, the immune system overreacts with the eyes the same way it does with the respiratory system. The eyes become itchy and dry, which causes more fluid to build up in an effort to moisten and wash them clean. Itchy eyes can become even more uncomfortable if you use them for long periods of time. For example, reading or working at a computer will intensify the dryness and itchiness and can make the symptoms last longer than they might otherwise, even after the allergen is gone.
6. Coughing
Nasal and sinus congestion are designed to help the body eliminate the mucus that has built up. Coughing is one of the effective ways to expel mucus into the atmosphere and away from the body’s internal systems. Sometimes excess mucus will run back down the throat and cause the back of the throat to tickle and create even more coughing. As with a runny nose, a good cough is a productive symptom of hay fever, even if it is uncomfortable. If the cough persists for longer than a couple of weeks it might be an indication that the allergy has caused a more serious problem that should be checked by a doctor.
7. Phlegm
Phlegm, or mucus, is one of the immune system’s first lines of defense when a foreign object has entered through the nose or mouth. There is always a healthy layer of mucus lining the entire respiratory system, as well as other organs in the body. Hay fever causes mucus to be produced at far greater levels than necessary to expel the allergen, which is what leads to the many other uncomfortable symptoms of allergic rhinitis. If too much mucus is present it can make it difficult to breathe, which can lead to other problems if the overproduction persists for too long.
8. Throat Irritation
Some of the excess mucus that is building up in the nasal passages and sinuses will naturally drain down the back of the throat as well as out through the nose. This constant draining can cause the throat to become red and raw and make it painful to swallow some kinds of foods. The irritation can also be intensified if the allergic reaction is accompanied by a persistent cough, which jars the sensitive lining at the top of the throat. Swelling is also common as the throat becomes irritated, and at extreme levels can make it difficult to breathe comfortably.
9. Headache
The front of the skull is made up primarily of sinus passages that are meant to remain clear of blockages. When the immune system overreacts and creates too much mucus, most of it gets packed into those facial sinus passages and fills them so tightly that they become heavy and create excessive pressure in the ears, nose, and throat. That pressure is generally accompanied by a headache that can be centered around the eyes or along the sides of the head. Sometimes the headache will extend down to the jaw and feel more like a toothache when the pressure is severe enough.
10. Watery Eyes
Just as the nasal passages fill with excess fluid due to an allergic reaction, the eyes will fill with excessive tears. The mechanism is the same for both types of fluid; the immune system is trying to flush out any foreign objects before they can get further into the body’s interior. Sometimes watery eyes can cause blurry vision, and the excess tears commonly run out of the eyes if not wiped away early enough. One of the signs that watery eyes are related to allergies is that in normal conditions the tears would ease any itching or pain in the eye, but with hay fever the eyes continue to feel uncomfortable.
