Doctors call it allergic rhinitis. Allergy has different names. So you see, allergy has different names depending upon where in your body it occurs. One out of every six Americans suffers from an allergic condition. Allergy is an inherited trait, a genetic susceptibility towards the production of certain allergy anti-bodies.
Hay fever is basically an allergic reaction to pollens from trees, weed and grasses.
Unlike garden flower pollen, which is carried by insects, the dry lightweight pollens which cause allergic rhinitis are generally spread by wind currents which make them difficult to avoid. While most people suffer mild discomfort with hay fever, it is estimated that more than 40 percent of the 5.8 million children who have respiratory allergies miss some school, stay in bed or feel upset by the condition. Additionally, complications from allergic rhinitis can be serious. The same allergens that cause hay fever can reach the lungs causing asthma and other complications. Secondary infections of the ear, larynx and bronchial tubes may occur.