What is hayfever?

Hayfever can affect nearly 20% of Australians every year.¹ Read on to understand what hayfever is so you can keep it in check.

Understanding your hayfever

Hayfever is caused by an allergic reaction to airborne allergens, such as pollen, dust mites, mould spores and animal dander. Also called allergic rhinitis, hayfever can affect both the nose and the eyes.²

If you have hayfever, you can develop symptoms immediately when you are exposed to an allergen. Common symptoms include:^2,3

Runny and itchy nose

Blocked or
congested nose

Sneezing

Red, itchy and
watery eyes

Hayfever symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe, and not everyone will respond to triggers the same way. It is important to understand your triggers and make note of your symptoms so you can find appropriate treatment options.

Hayfever symptoms can sometimes be confused with a common cold, check out this page to find out if you have hayfever or a cold

How long does hayfever last?

Hayfever symptoms can last for as long as you are exposed to a trigger. This could mean weeks, months or all year long.⁴

Depending on where you live and what your triggers are, symptom duration will vary. If you are allergic to pollens, the allergy may last for weeks during peak pollen seasons. In the case of dust mite, mould or pet allergy, the symptoms can last even longer unless treated appropriately.⁴

Types of hayfever

Seasonal allergic rhinitis

This is when hayfever symptoms occur at certain times of year (seasons) and only last for a few weeks or months. For example, if you have a specific pollen allergy to grass, flowers, weeds or trees, you may develop hayfever symptoms in spring when the specific pollen counts peak.³
Perennial allergic rhinitis

When hayfever symptoms occur all year around, it is called perennial allergic rhinitis. For example, if your allergy is triggered by indoor allergens such as dust mite, mould or pet dander, your symptoms may persist year-round.³
Perennial with seasonal exacerbations

This is when you are allergic to many different seasonal allergens and suffer from symptoms all year. For example, in certain geographical locations, seasonal allergens can be present all year causing you to have continuous symptoms.³
Occupational allergic rhinitis

This type of hayfever is triggered by chemicals, irritants or allergens in the workplace. If you experience occupational hayfever, there are some tips on how to cope at work.³

Severity of hayfever

Persistent and intermittent allergic rhinitis

Hayfever can also be persistent or intermittent. If your hayfever symptoms occur more than 4 days a week, or for more than 4 weeks, then you have persistent hayfever. If your symptoms occur less than 4 days a week or less than 4 weeks, then you have intermittent hayfever.³
Mild, moderate to severe allergic rhinitis

Hayfever is also categorised into mild, moderate or severe. Mild hayfever means you are sleeping normally, and there is no impairment of work, school or daily activities. If your hayfever symptoms affect either your sleep, daily activities, work or school, then you have moderate to severe hayfever.³

Is hayfever contagious?

Unlike cold or flu, hayfever is not contagious. Hayfever is caused by your immune system’s response to a trigger. When you come into contact with a trigger such as a pollen, your immune system may overreact and cause hayfever symptoms.⁴

Airborne allergens can cause hayfever symptoms by triggering an immune response

One of the ways the immune system responds to a trigger is by releasing chemicals into the bloodstream, the main one being histamine. Histamine can cause the membranes in your nose and throat to become inflamed, leading to symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, itchy and blocked or congested nose and itchy, watery eyes.

This is your body’s natural defence mechanism as it tries to get rid of the allergen. The symptoms are not contagious.

Learn more about what causes hayfever symptoms here

Impact of hayfever

If left untreated, hayfever symptoms can persist and have negative impacts on daily life. For people with asthma, hayfever symptoms can also make asthma symptoms more difficult to control.⁶

Hayfever and its symptoms can be associated with:⁷

Poor sleep

Hayfever symptoms, such as constant sneezing and runny nose, may keep you awake or make it difficult to stay asleep at night. This can impact the quality and duration of your sleep.

Fatigue

Disturbed sleep from hayfever may impact your energy levels and make you feel especially tired during the day. This can affect your ability to focus and participate in daily activities.

Worsening asthma

Persistent hayfever may make asthma symptoms worse and more difficult to control.

Limited participation on activities

Hayfever can also impact work or school performance. Symptoms can prevent you from attending social activities, and contribute to feelings of general irritability.

View tips on how to cope with hayfever symptoms at work