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Hay Fever and Children

Hay fever doesn't usually affect children until they're about seven, but older children and teenagers are more susceptible to the allergy than adults.

It’s important to know if it's hay fever, as it could be a non-pollen allergy such as dust mite or pet fur. Hay fever has clear seasonal symptoms which occur every year at the same time.

The strict diagnosis of hay fever is allergy to grass pollen. But your child could also be allergic to tree pollen, which usually comes at the end of spring, before grass pollen is usually produced.

Allergy to tree pollen usually means allergy to birch, hazel or elder trees, which are in the same family.

How can you spot signs of hay fever in children?

Look out for symptoms from March to October. The symptoms could be caused by a virus but if this is the case, they will usually only last a week or two. If your child has a constant runny nose and is sneezing every day for part of the year but not in the winter, this may be a sign that they’re allergic to something. You rarely get viruses that last for weeks and weeks.

Diagnosing hay fever

It’s important that hay fever is diagnosed so it can be treated and you can take steps to avoid it. If you or your child only has symptoms in July and August on a very sunny day, it's almost certainly hay fever.

In this case, you don’t really need a formal diagnosis. But if you or your child has symptoms all year round and you’re not sure if it's hay fever, go to your GP for a diagnosis.

Treating symptoms

If your child doesn't like taking tablets, antihistamines are also available as a liquid. Other treatments available include steroid nasal sprays.

Antihistamines generally have a good safety record and are available over the counter without a prescription.  People with hay fever should take them regularly, not just on the days when you feel bad. If you take them throughout the hay fever season, they work much better.

Preventing symptoms

Pollen is released in the early morning. As the air warms up, the pollen is carried up above our heads. As evening comes and the air cools, pollen comes back down. So symptoms are usually worse first thing in the morning and early evening, particularly on days that have been warm and sunny. To reduce your child’s exposure to pollens: 


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