What to do about hayfever

I was diagnosed with asthma 3 years ago (aged 20), and now I seem to be developing hayfever too. I've never had hayfever before until last summer I started getting watery eyes and nasal issues (alternating between runny nose usually when I went outdoors and blocked up when I was inside). It wasn't awful so I bought over the counter eye drops to try and help the itching/watering and did nothing else about it.

Thins year my eyes are itchy and streaming with water whenever I go out running and my nose is once again really irritating me. It seems much worse than last year and it's beginning to really bother me... I am feeling fuzzy headed and generally a bit miserable. My asthma has (thankfully) remained in control (I'm currently taking symbicort 200/6 2 puffs twice daily, ventolin before exercise and as needed and montelukast 10mg daily)

My question is if I wanted to try antihistamines for what appears to be hayfever, is it normal to just buy them over the counter at a pharmacy or is that something I should see my GP for? I haven't actually been diagnosed with hayfever, I'm just guessing from the symptoms that it's hayfever. I spend a lot of time outdoors as I'm a long-distance runner, and I live in the countryside.

Thanks in advance.

Jen

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I'm a bit like you jen actually

i have generally itchy / watery eyes at the moment and am guessing it's hayfever and have bought over the counter anti histamines. There are generally 2 types you can buy and i've bought both, i just take either randomly but i do find sometimes i have to take both to sort the symptoms.

I also go running and get the terribly itchy nose and eyes worse after running. I try to make sure i remember to take antihistamines as well as salbutamol in hayfever season LOL

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We're coming into the season when rape seed plants are in flower - a known trigger for a lot of hayfever sufferers.

I get non seasonal rhinitis and have both eye drops and a nasal spray (otrivin antistin and rinatec) for when I get flare ups - well nigh impossible to predict for most of the year. I got mine after discussions with my GP - I'd had issues with some eye drops (my eyes puffed up after using them for a few days). I have a pre-payment certificate, so there is a clear advantage for me to get them on prescription.

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Thanks for your replies. I'm in Scotland MaggieHP so getting a prescription would mean I would get it for free. I just don't know whether it's something I should bother my GP about or whether hayfever is something to ask a pharmacy about instead.

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My husband, who gets hayfever but who is not asthmatic, did go to the doctor when he started having real problems with a number of years ago (like you, he's a runner, and before that he used to cycle to and from work in the summer - a round trip of twenty miles plus). He used a short term pre payment certificate (which just about covered the hayfever season) because he needed to take them daily for a number of months in the summer. As you say, being in Scotland that doesn't apply to you. However, every two or three years, he did find it useful to talk to the doctor at the beginning of the hayfever season to find out if there were any new medications available that could help him.

Encouragingly he has found that over the past three or four years he has not been anything like as bad and hasn't needed regular medication for it. As I think most of us who use this site are aware, triggers for allergic reactions can change.

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Thanks, I think I will head to the pharmacy tomorrow and see what they can give me over the counter.. sounds like that's all that's needed. If it makes a big difference, I will mention in to my GP whenever I'm next there. Thanks again.