5 Ways to Identify Hay Fever

1. Know Your Risk Factors

Certain aspects of your medical and family history make you more likely to develop hay fever or allergic rhinitis. If you have a family history of hay fever, you have an increased chance of developing this condition. In addition, if you have other allergic reactions, asthma or eczema, your chances of having hay fever also increase. Finally, with frequent exposure to hay fever allergens, such as grass pollen, tree pollen and ragweed, you become more likely to develop hay fever. Be sure to go over your family and medical history with your physician, as it makes up an important part of the hay fever diagnosis.

2. Keep a Symptom Journal

To properly identify hay fever, a detailed journal of your symptoms becomes necessary. Symptoms of nasal allergies such as hay fever include sneezing, stuffy nose, congestion, runny nose, red eyes, watery eyes, fatigue, coughing, wheezing, postnasal drip, difficulty hearing and itching. Use a journal to record what symptoms you exhibit as well as the time of day and season in which you experience symptoms, where you were when you had symptoms and what activities you were doing at the time. Your doctor will need this information to help him properly identify your hay fever.

3. Take a Closer Look

Sometimes, a doctor can identify hay fever by observing nasal discharge under a microscope. People who have hay fever or other allergic reactions will have nasal discharge that contains a large amount of a particular type of immune system cell called an eosinophil. If your doctor observes eosinophils in your nasal discharge, he will likely identify hay fever and diagnose you as having the condition.

4. Scratch the Surface

Skin scratch tests provide a doctor with important information that can lead to the identification of hay fever in a patient. In a scratch test, a doctor places a small amount of an allergen (such as tree pollen) on the skin of the patient. The doctor then scratches the skin and looks for the signs of an allergic reaction. A red and swollen bump, sometimes called a wheal and flare reaction, signifies a positive allergic reaction. If a doctor observes signs of an allergic reaction, he can make an identification of hay fever. In addition, by using different allergens in a scratch test, the doctor can also determine the specific allergen that causes a patient's hay fever.

5. Test Your Blood for Antibodies

People with hay fever or other allergic reactions have immune system cells that overproduce a particular type of antibody when that person comes in contact with an allergen. These antibodies are called immunoglobulin E or IgE antibodies. When a patient's immune system produces IgE antibodies, a blood test can detect the presence of these antibodies in their blood. Your doctor may perform such a blood test to look for antibodies. If IgE antibodies are present in your blood, your doctor may identify and diagnose hay fever.