Hay Fever

• Many people experience sniffling, sneezing, and itchy eyes during certain times of year. This affliction is known as allergic rhinitis, pollinosis, or "hay fever."
• Hay Fever was almost unknown before 1800.
• Today hay fever affects one third of Americans and 40% of Australians.
• Hay fever results from the body's reaction to particles carried in the air, including especially pollen grains and mold spores.
• Pollen and mold spore levels have not changed much in the last century, so why has hay fever become so widespread and severe?
• No one knows for sure, but there are several theories. Fewer childhood infections may leave the body more sensitive to foreign particles, and increased pollution may make the situation worse. It may be that the body needs to be exposed to high levels of allergens in early life in order to learn how to "recognize" them so they don't cause problems later on.