Hay fever is an allergic reaction to an allergen such as pollen, dust mites, fungal spores, or animal fur. These can cause the nose, eyes, throat, and sinuses to become swollen, irritated and inflamed.

Your body is basically overreacting to what it perceives as a threat. The most common symptoms are sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes. If you have asthma, your asthma symptoms may get worse when you have hay fever.

This includes tightness of the chest, shortness of breath and coughing. Because there are many different options for managing hay fever, your Friendlies pharmacists are well positioned to provide you with the right advice regarding treatment.