Making the diagnosis
You may not like to bother your doctor with symptoms as commonplace as sneezing, a runny nose and watery eyes – but if you are unable to control such symptoms, medical help should really be sought. Any health problem that you are unable successfully to self-treat, whether or not it appears trivial, should be mentioned to your doctor. There may be a course of available treatment that, when followed, makes a great deal of difference to your life. Even when you suspect that no treatment is currently available – I’m talking about other conditions besides hay fever here – your doctor should be informed and the symptoms duly noted on your records. A treatment may become available at a later date, or the problem may be found to tie in with later symptoms to form a complete picture and allow a diagnosis.
Of course, hay fever is sometimes nothing more than a minor inconvenience that can be controlled by reducing exposure to the allergen(s) responsible. It is when symptoms actively interfere with your normal routine at work, at home and during leisure activities that you should go to your doctor.
If your hay fever is accompanied by asthma, or you are not sure that your particular allergens are pollen and mould, you should definitely seek medical advice.
Where hay fever is concerned, your doctor is likely to be able to diagnose the allergy from a description of your symptoms. The time of day at which your symptoms are worst is an important factor, but always try to give your doctor a complete and accurate picture – hay fever symptoms increase at a certain time of the day in some people depending upon their particular allergen(s). These are questions your doctor is likely to ask:
• During the course of a day, when exactly are your symptoms at their worst?
• During the course of a day, when exactly do your symptoms improve, if at all?
• At what time of the year are your symptoms at their worst?
• Can you anticipate when your symptoms are about to start? If so, what are the signs?
• Do any of your family members suffer from allergies?
• Are your symptoms worse when you are around pets?
• Have you noticed whether other substances – such as household cleaning products – make your symptoms worse? If so, what are the substances in question?
If the diagnosis is not obvious, skin or blood tests may be taken in order to determine your particular allergy. People who have year-round symptoms – perennial hay fever – may be found to be allergic not only to pollen but to mould spores, the dung from house dust mites, fur from pets, feathers in duck down pillows and so on.
Currently, there are insufficient allergy specialists in the UK to deal with what has become a considerable problem, and few CPs are trained to treat allergies. However, the allergy specialists we do have are trained to a high standard. Their training programme usually extends to several years of education, and an evaluation process which includes an examination to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and expertise in patient care. Therefore, if your doctor doesn’t appear to be too interested in your problem, it’s highly recommended that you ask for a referral to an allergy specialist, referred to as an allergist.
If you are being treated at your local surgery, your doctor will check your medical history and ask if you are aware of any other allergies. Your answer will indicate whether or not you are an allergy-prone individual and therefore more likely to have hay fever; it will also help your doctor to prescribe a safe treatment – some people who are prone to allergies react adversely to certain medication.