Health experts have urged people not to ignore a 'red flag' hay fever symptom which can often be mistaken for something else. It comes as the Met Office has forecasts high pollen counts over the coming days weeks, and the NHS has seen a surge in searches for hay fever.
The Met Office is also warning sufferers to prepare for weeks of hay fever, as they move into "grass season". Hay fever sufferers will commonly experience sore eyes, an itchy throat and a snotty nose rather than an idyllic summer outside soaking up the sun's rays.
However, aside from the more obvious symptoms - some sufferers could also experience a headache, which could be ignored or confused with something else. A sinus headache can be caused by a build-up of pressure which results in a sinus headache. This tends to feel as if there is "intense pressure inside the head or behind the eyes".
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"The histamines released during a hay fever account can also give rise to migraines," one pharmacist warns. Independent Prescribing Pharmacist Rumeet Patel of LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor has warned the public of some of the more unusual and lesser-known symptoms of hay fever, says the Mirror.
He explained: "Even if you don't have hay fever yourself, approximately one in five people in the UK experience this condition so you're probably aware of the common symptoms. These include a runny, itchy or blocked nose, sneezing, itchy or watery red eyes, and an itchy throat. You may have just one or two of these symptoms or the whole list.
"Although less common, there are some more surprising symptoms of hay fever such as excessive sweating and loss of taste and smell. As the pollen count rises, it's important the public recognise these unusual symptoms."
Excessive sweating
An unusual symptom of hay fever is excessive sweating. It can be easily triggered by stress, pain or when your immune system is vulnerable.
Loss of smell and taste
Loss of smell can potentially be a symptom of hay fever. Also known as anosmia, inflammation in the nasal passages can impact our sense of smell. Rumeet explains: "This is the body's way of limiting the amount of pollen that reaches the nose.
"As taste and smell are linked, if you experience anosmia, you are also likely to notice some loss of taste too."
Face pain
Hay fever can cause pain around the cheeks, eyes and forehead. You may experience facial pain when the pressure of the small air-filled cavities behind the cheekbones and the forehead becomes inflamed or blocked.
Asthma
Rumeet warns people that if they have asthma then they may find that their hay fever symptoms worsen like wheezing and breathlessness.
He says: "In fact, some people also find they only experience asthma symptoms during hay fever season. People with hay fever are also much more likely to develop asthma."
Thankfully, there are several fixes that can cure hay fever. As advised by Rumeet, symptoms can be easily managed with allergy treatments and lifestyle changes, including limiting time spent outside.
He explained: "However, some people experience such bad hay fever symptoms that it can affect daily activities such as sleep and work.
"In this case, or if your symptoms get worse or have not improved after two to four weeks of taking treatments recommended by a pharmacist, you should see your GP."
