Hay Fever

Symptoms of hay fever can include:

• Sneezing, coughing, runny nose, and itchy watery eyes.
• Irritation to eyes, nose mouth and throat
• Tenderness to temples and forehead
• Headaches
• Earache
• Feeling tired
• Loss of smell
• Tightness in the chest and shortness of breath in some cases.

Although there is no cure for hay fever first lines of treatment should include.

• Putting Vaseline around your nostrils – to catch the pollen particles.
• Wearing sunglasses
• Keeping windows and doors closed
• Vacuuming and dusting for frequently
• Using a pollen filter for cars and vacuum cleaners
• Showering and changing clothes after being outside.
• Drying clothes indoors
• Avoiding being outdoors
• Avoiding cutting the grass
• Keep fresh flowers outside.
• Avoiding smoking or smoke
• Avoid letting pets indoors if possible.

Non-prescription medication

• Antihistamines – can be bought over the counter and work by blocking the histamine response to pollens. These can be oral tablets or nasal sprays.
• eye drops can be used to alleviate watery eyes caused by hay fever/allergies.

If you find your symptoms are not resolving or are worsening, you should always speak to your GP.

Allergy Testing

Have you considered, allergy testing, to discover exactly what you are allergic to?  Did you know that some allergies can be treated with immunotherapy. Where a small amount of pollen are introduced into your system and over time you could build up a resistance to the pollen that you are allergic to.

Having first tried the above, another option for severe hay fever is a steroid injection.

The vaccine is given once per season intramuscularly into the gluteal muscle (the bottom).

The vaccine is not a cure for hay fever but, many will see their hay fever symptoms greatly improved for 3 weeks or for some the whole hay fever season.

The vaccine temporarily supresses the body`s immune response to relieve symptoms and is a great effective medication that has been used in the past to treat severe hay fever, and for many it has had great results. However, taking steroids it isn`t without risks and hence the above treatments need to be considered first. Kenalog is now classed as, “off label” for hay fever. Off Label means – the use of a drug to treat a condition other than that for which it has been formally approved.

Please note: The Summary of Product Characteristics, (SmPC)  https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/6748/smpc  list of potential side effects from the hay fever vaccine.

Undesirable Effects

Common – (>1/100 to <1/10)

• increased risk of infections
• Headaches
• Arthralgia
• injection site reaction

 Uncommon  – (>1/1000 to <1/100)

• Anaphylactoid reaction
• Injection site abscess, infections masked, tuberculosis, candida, eye infection, rhinitis, conjunctivitis.
• Adrenal suppression – secondary adrenocortical insufficiency, hypopituitarism.
• Sodium/fluid retention, alkalosis, hypokalaemia, hyperglycaemia, diabetes mellitus, diabetes inadequate control, calcium/protein deficiency, nitrogen balance negative.
• Psychiatric symptoms, mood swings, psychotic disorder, personality change, depression, euphoric mood, anxiety, Insomnia, fatigue, Irritability, suicidal ideation, cognitive disorder, drug dependence.
• Convulsion, epilepsy, syncope, benign intercranial hypertension, neuritis, paraesthesia, intercranial pressure increased, dizziness.
• Cataracts, blindness, glaucoma, protruding eyes, corneal perforation, inflammation, blindness, papilloedema, blurred vision.
• Congestive cardiac failure, arrhythmia.
• Hypertension/hypotension, embolism, thrombophlebitis, vasculitis necrotising, flushing, hyperthermia.
• Peptic ulcer – perforation/ haemorrhage, pancreatitis, abdominal distension/discomfort, oesophagitis ulcerative, dyspepsia, increased appetite, weight loss.
• Urticaria, rash, Skin hyper/hypopigmentation, skin atrophy/fragility, petechiae, skin discolouration, bruising, erythema, sweating, purpura, skin striae, increased hair growth, dermatitis acneiform, cutaneous lupus erythematosus, angioedema, pruritus, flushing.
• Osteoporosis, osteonecrosis, pathological fracture, fracture delayed union, musculoskeletal discomfort, muscular weakness, myopathy, muscle atrophy, growth retardation, neuropathic arthropathy, myalgia, spinal compression fracture.
• Menstrual irregularities, amenorrhoea, post-menopausal bleeding, hormonal changes.

Not known

• Blurred vision.

During corticosteroid treatment antibody response will be reduced and therefore affect the response to vaccines. Live vaccines should not be administered.

Intramuscular Injection – provides an extended duration of therapeutic effect and fewer side effects compared with steroids taken orally (SmPC).