Hay fever - Risk factors

Hay fever

Risk factors for hay fever

You're likely to get hay fever if:

Someone else in your family has an

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.

allergy. For example, if your mother or father has an allergy, then you're more likely to get hay fever than someone whose parents don't have allergies
You have any other allergies, such as an allergy to

dust mites
Dust mites are tiny creatures that live in dust. You can't see them with your naked eye. Many people have an allergy to dust mite droppings.

dust mites
You're a teenager or young adult. Hay fever often starts in people at this age.

Source:
Scadding GK, Church MK.
Rhinitis.
In: Holgate ST, Church MK, Lichtenstein LM (editors). Allergy. 2nd edition. Mosby, London, UK; 2001.

¹ Most people with hay fever get their first symptoms before they're 20 years old. And about two-thirds of adults who have hay fever are younger than 30

Source:
Nathan A.
How to treat hay fever and associated allergic conditions in the pharmacy.
Pharmaceutical Journal. 2002; 268: 575-578.

²
You're the oldest child in your family
You come from a small family
You come from a family that has a high income.

Researchers think that people who have these last three risk factors don't get many

infection
You get an infection when viruses, bacteria, fungi or other tiny organisms get into your body. These bugs are so tiny that you can't see them without a microscope. For example, an infection in your airways causes the common cold. And an infection in your skin can cause rashes such as athlete's foot.

infections when they're children. If you don't get many infections as a child, it may affect your

immune system
The immune system is made up of the parts of the body that are devoted to fighting infection. The body is constantly being threatened by infections from things like bacteria, viruses and parasites. The immune system fights these infections in different ways. At the microscopic level, the immune system uses antibodies and white blood cells, which travel in the blood and target infectious agents, such as bacteria. These microscopic parts of the immune system either kill the infectious agent directly, or take it to other parts of the body, like the spleen, where it can be dealt with. The lymph nodes are another important part of the immune system. Within them, white blood cells filter through the foreign material that has entered the blood, to see if there are any infections. When you have a swollen gland during a cold, this is actually a lymph node that is reacting to the infection. Unfortunately, it is possible for the immune system to become confused and to use its destructive powers to target healthy parts of the body. Diseases that result from this type of situation are called autoimmune diseases.

immune system so that you are more at risk of getting allergies like hay fever.

Source:
Fleming DM, Crombie DL.
Prevalence of asthma and hay fever in England and Wales.
BMJ Clinical Research Edition. 1987; 294: 279-283.

Source:
Durham SR (editor).
Summer hay fever.
ABC of allergies. BMJ Books, London, UK; 1998.

⁴

Sources for the information on this page:

Scadding GK, Church MK.Rhinitis.In: Holgate ST, Church MK, Lichtenstein LM (editors). Allergy. 2nd edition. Mosby, London, UK; 2001.

Nathan A.How to treat hay fever and associated allergic conditions in the pharmacy.Pharmaceutical Journal. 2002; 268: 575-578.

Fleming DM, Crombie DL.Prevalence of asthma and hay fever in England and Wales.BMJ Clinical Research Edition. 1987; 294: 279-283.

Durham SR (editor).Summer hay fever.ABC of allergies. BMJ Books, London, UK; 1998.

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.
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