Don't be alarmed if you are experiencing seasonal allergies for the first time. While hay fever — also known as allergic rhinitis — often begins in childhood, more adults are being diagnosed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Jay-Sheree Allen, a Mayo Clinic family medicine physician, says seasonal allergies can make you feel miserable. It's your body's way of fighting off a perceived threat.
"Your immune system can overreact or create antibodies to fight things that aren't necessarily as harmful as it thinks," says Dr. Allen.
