Why do we get hay fever?

The perfect summer scene: The sun is shining and it’s red hot. Let’s walk in the park. Oh wait no, I must stay inside because I’m allergic to grass. But why does this happen? Read on…

Hay fever is a form of allergic inflammation caused by pollen from grass, trees and plants. Pollen is a powder that is released by plants, tress and flowers. An allergic reaction is essentially your system overreacting to a what it sees as a danger to the body. When pollen is registered by your body, your immune system responds like it would to a virus. This is why we get watering eyes, a runny nose and all the other symptoms we associate with the ‘fever’.

It’s not even actually a fever. A fever is when the core temperature of the body rises above its normal levels but this does not happen in hay fever.

So come on body, give us a break and stop overreacting. It’s only a flower!

hay fever, pollen, itchy eyes, blocked nose, sneezing, allergies, grass