Try all you may, sometimes hayfever is impossible to avoid during the high-risk months. With some people more susceptible to allergic reaction the following is our complete guide to the symptoms and treatments of hayfever.

Symptoms:

- Red, itchy and/or watery eyes

- Runny, itchy and/or stuffy nose

- Sneezing

- Wheezing, coughing and/or a tight chest

- Itching

In severe cases symptoms can also include:

- Headaches

- Loss of taste and smell

- Blocked sinuses causing facial pain

Diagnosis:

There are two main ways your GP will go about diagnosing the exact determent of your reactions.

Blood test: A blood test will be conducted to show the level of immunoglobulin (lgE) antibodies. If an allergen is present the IgE levels will read high, however a zero score represents no immediate allergen in the area.

Skin test: The body is pricked with the likely determent and if swelling entails, the culprit has been found. Sometimes the allergen will be injected under the skin,and checked 20 minutes later for swelling.

Treatments:

Medications for hayfever will help you to persist through the symptoms. Depending on your symptoms the following treatments will help to ease your pain:

1. Nasal corticosteroids- Sprays work toward treating the inflammation caused by hayfever. This involves treating the itching and runniness as well.

2. Eye drops- Eye drops help the symptoms of itchy, red, runny and watery eyes.

3. Antihistamine sprays and tablets- Help to reduce irritation and runniness of the nose which will help you if you are sneezing uncontrollably.

4. Decongestants- These will help reduce swelling and congestion of the nasal passageways by narrowing the blood vessels in your nose. These can be topical or oral.

5. Saline sprays- When used in conjunction with other medications these can work to unblock the nasal lining of mucus that may be stopping your other medications from reaching where they need to be.

If treatments persist for over a month visit your GP for expert diagnosis. Immunotherapy is the last resort and involves small, increasing doses of the allergen to build your immune system.