Conditions & symptoms · Allergy and hay fever
Is it hay fever or a cold, and what can help?
Compare hay-fever and cold symptoms, understand common triggers and care options, and know when breathing symptoms need urgent help.
Is it hay fever or a cold, and what can help?
Hay fever often causes repeated sneezing, itchy or watery eyes and a clear runny or blocked nose, especially with a recurring pollen or exposure pattern. Colds can overlap but are more likely to cause a sore throat, aches or feeling unwell. Self-care and pharmacist-advised treatment can help. New wheeze or shortness of breath needs prompt care; severe breathing trouble requires 000.
Last updated 22 October 2026
On this page
What can hay fever feel like?
Hay fever, also called allergic rhinitis, is an allergic response affecting the nose and often the eyes. It does not have to involve hay, and hay fever itself does not cause a fever. Common symptoms include:
- Repeated sneezing and an itchy, runny or blocked nose.
- Itchy, watery eyes and an itchy throat or a need to clear your throat.
- Symptoms that recur in a particular season, place or situation, or continue throughout the year.
- A blocked nose that disturbs sleep, with tiredness or difficulty concentrating during the day.
Is it a cold, asthma or a skin allergy?
Colds and flu can also cause a runny nose, throat irritation and cough. Fever, aches or feeling generally unwell can point towards infection or another cause. Itching and a recurring exposure pattern can suggest allergy, but no single symptom confirms the cause.
Hay fever and asthma can occur together. Wheeze, chest tightness or shortness of breath should not be dismissed as a blocked nose. Hives or eczema can occur alongside allergies, but not every rash is allergic and hives alone do not identify a trigger.
What can trigger symptoms?
Pollen from grasses, weeds or trees can cause seasonal symptoms. Dust mites, mould and animal dander (tiny flakes of skin) can contribute to symptoms indoors or throughout the year. The relevant exposure varies between people and places.
Smoke, strong smells and other irritants can also affect the nose without being an allergy. A change at home, work or outdoors can provide a clue, but it is not always possible to identify a trigger yourself. A GP can help distinguish likely causes before you make major changes.
How can a HerDoc GP help?
A HerDoc GP can assess the pattern, recommend treatment, review what has or has not helped and provide a referral when further assessment is needed. A useful plan can focus on your main problem, whether that is poor sleep, eye discomfort, a blocked nose or symptoms affecting work and exercise.
HerDoc consultations are by phone. The GP can review your history and medicines, but cannot look inside your nose, examine your eyes or listen to your chest. If those findings would change the advice, the GP will explain what to have checked locally and how soon.
Do you need allergy tests?
Not everyone with hay-fever symptoms needs testing. A history of symptoms and exposures often guides the first steps. Targeted skin-prick or blood testing may help when the trigger is uncertain, symptoms remain difficult to manage or a specialist treatment is being considered.
Results need to be interpreted alongside your history. A GP can explain whether testing would be useful and where to have it done.
What can help with symptoms?
Treatment depends on which symptoms bother you, how often they occur, other health conditions and your preferences. Mild symptoms may be managed with pharmacist advice and self-care; ongoing or disruptive symptoms deserve GP review.
Reduce relevant exposure
For pollen-related symptoms, check local pollen forecasts, keep windows closed when pollen is high and avoid mowing grass or being nearby while it is mown. Changing clothes and showering after outdoor exposure may help reduce pollen carried indoors.
For indoor triggers, match changes to the likely cause. Address damp and mould. If dust mites are a relevant trigger, washing bedding in hot water and using dust-mite covers on pillows and mattresses may help. Avoid cigarette smoke. You do not need to remove pets or make costly changes based on symptoms alone.
Choose treatment for the main symptoms
Saline nasal sprays can help clear mucus and allergens. Follow the product instructions; a pharmacist can explain how to use them.
Antihistamines can help itching, sneezing and watery eyes. Anti-inflammatory nasal sprays reduce inflammation inside the nose and can help persistent blockage. They work best with regular use as directed and correct spray technique; a pharmacist can show you how to use them. Eye treatments may help when eye symptoms are the main problem.
A GP or pharmacist can help choose treatment and check suitability in pregnancy or breastfeeding, with other medicines or with another health condition. Some treatments can cause drowsiness. Decongestant sprays are different from anti-inflammatory nasal sprays: using them for too long can make congestion worse. Follow the advice and label for your treatment rather than combining products or extending use on your own.
If initial care is not enough
A review can check the likely diagnosis, treatment technique and whether the plan fits your symptoms. Selected patients may benefit from specialist assessment for allergen immunotherapy, a longer-term treatment intended to reduce sensitivity to a confirmed allergen. It requires individual assessment and supervision; it is not a HerDoc phone-based treatment service.
Hay fever, asthma and pollen seasons
Mention wheezing, chest tightness, night-time cough, shortness of breath or needing asthma relief more often. Treating nasal symptoms does not replace asthma care. For established asthma, a routine review can help you discuss control and your existing Asthma Action Plan; new or worsening breathing symptoms need the faster care below.
Pollen and some thunderstorms can trigger asthma symptoms, including in people who have not previously been diagnosed with asthma. During high-pollen conditions and thunderstorms, stay indoors with windows and doors closed where possible and follow local health advice. Discuss a plan before the season if you have hay fever or asthma. HerDoc does not assess or manage an acute asthma attack remotely.
What information helps an appointment?
You do not need to know the cause before seeking help. Useful details include:
- When symptoms began, whether they come and go, and any seasonal or indoor/outdoor pattern.
- Suspected exposures, changes at home or work and whether symptoms improve away from a place.
- Effects on sleep, concentration, work, study or exercise.
- Any fever, rash, swelling, wheeze, chest tightness or breathlessness, plus asthma or previous severe allergic reactions.
- Current medicines, pregnancy or breastfeeding, treatments already tried, how you used them and whether they helped or caused side effects.
- Existing allergy results or asthma/allergy action plans, if you have them.
Persistent, recurrent or changing symptoms
Arrange a review if symptoms keep returning, interfere with daily life or do not improve with the plan you were given. Agree what improvement to look for and when to follow up. New symptoms, one-sided blockage, repeated nosebleeds or loss of smell may need a local examination rather than simply changing allergy treatment.
When should you seek local or emergency care?
Sneezing, an itchy nose or watery eyes on their own are usually not an emergency. Breathing problems, swelling and a rapidly developing reaction need a different response.
Call 000 for a suspected severe allergic reaction
A suspected severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) needs immediate emergency action. In an allergic reaction, any one of these signs can be enough; do not wait for visible swelling, a rash or every symptom to appear:
- Difficult or noisy breathing, sudden wheeze or a persistent cough.
- Tongue swelling, throat swelling or tightness, or a sudden hoarse voice or difficulty talking.
- Persistent dizziness, faintness or collapse.
- Widespread hives with breathing trouble, dizziness or other rapidly developing whole-body symptoms.
What to do for a suspected severe allergic reaction
Act immediately. Do not wait for an online appointment.
- Lie flat and do not stand or walk. If conscious but breathing is difficult, sit with legs outstretched. If unconscious but breathing normally, place the person on their side in the recovery position. If pregnant, use the left side.
- Use an available adrenaline device immediately according to your action plan or the device instructions, then call 000 for an ambulance. If no device is available, call 000 immediately.
- If the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR. Follow the emergency operator’s instructions. Antihistamines do not replace emergency treatment.
Breathing symptoms and asthma
New wheeze, chest tightness, worsening asthma or shortness of breath needs urgent local assessment. Follow your existing Asthma Action Plan while arranging help. Do not wait for a routine phone appointment.
Call 000 if an asthma attack is not improving after following your reliever or asthma first-aid plan, or symptoms worsen quickly. Call 000 immediately for severe difficulty breathing, difficulty speaking normally, blue or grey lips, marked drowsiness or confusion, or collapse. If a sudden breathing problem may be anaphylaxis, use the severe-allergic-reaction steps above.
Other reasons for prompt local care
New lip or facial swelling, even without breathing symptoms, needs prompt medical advice and close attention for progression. Use the emergency steps if it spreads rapidly or other severe symptoms develop.
Arrange prompt local care for eye pain, light sensitivity or changes in vision, significant facial pain with fever, or rapidly worsening symptoms or feeling very unwell. These should not be assumed to be ordinary hay fever.
FAQs
Does hay fever cause a fever?
No. Despite its name, hay fever does not cause a fever. Fever, aches or feeling generally unwell can point towards a cold, flu or another cause. Symptoms overlap, so arrange review if the pattern is unclear or you are not improving.
Can a pharmacist help with hay fever?
Yes. A pharmacist can discuss non-prescription options for mild symptoms, check suitability with your medicines and health conditions, and show you how to use a nasal spray correctly. Ongoing, disruptive or uncertain symptoms deserve GP review.
Do I need an allergy test for hay fever?
Not always. The symptom and exposure pattern often guides the first steps. Targeted testing may help when the trigger is uncertain, symptoms remain difficult to manage or specialist treatment is being considered. Results need interpretation alongside your history.
Can hay fever affect asthma during pollen season?
Yes. Hay fever and asthma can occur together, and high-grass-pollen conditions or some thunderstorms can trigger asthma symptoms, including in people without a previous asthma diagnosis. Have a plan before the season and use urgent or emergency care for breathing symptoms rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
Should I cut foods out to treat hay fever?
No. Hay fever is triggered by environmental allergens, not food allergy. Avoid starting a restrictive diet for nasal or eye symptoms without assessment. Symptoms after eating need a separate discussion; use the emergency guidance for a severe reaction.
Sources and further reading
These Australian resources explain hay fever, treatment choices and severe allergic reactions in more detail.
When to seek urgent care
Call 000 for a suspected severe allergic reaction, including throat tightness, tongue swelling, sudden breathing or voice changes, faintness or collapse. Follow the first-aid guidance above.