Hay fever - Plants that give you hay fever

Hay fever

Plants that give you hay fever

If you have hay fever, you're probably

allergy
If you have an allergy to something, your body overreacts when you're around it. The thing you are allergic to is called an allergen. Most allergens are harmless to most people. But if you're allergic to something, your body's system for fighting infection (your immune system) is too sensitive to that allergen. It triggers changes that we call allergic reactions. For example, pollen is an allergen for many people. If you're allergic to pollen, you'll sneeze and have runny eyes when pollen is in the air.

allergic to pollen. Pollen is released by some plants and looks a lot like dust.

Here are some of the plants that are most likely to cause hay fever.

Source:
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). NIH.
Something in the air: airborne allergens.
April 2003. Available at http://www.niaid.nih.gov (accessed on 2 July 2008).

Weeds: ragweed, English plantain (also called ribgrass or ripplegrass), lamb's quarters (a common weed), pigweed, Russian thistle (tumbleweed), sagebrush.
Grasses: Bermuda grass, Johnson grass, Kentucky bluegrass, orchard grass, redtop grass, sweet vernal grass, Timothy grass.
Trees: ash, box elder, elm, hickory, oak, mountain cedar, pecan.

Common plants that cause hay fever are (from left to right): tumbleweed, ragweed and Timothy grass. (Photos from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.)

Sources for the information on this page:

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). NIH.Something in the air: airborne allergens.April 2003. Available at http://www.niaid.nih.gov (accessed on 2 July 2008).

This information was last updated on May 01, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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