Hay Fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, affects approximately 20% of people of all ages. It can begin at any age, although most people develop hay fever during childhood or young adulthood. The severity of symptoms may also vary throughout life, and some people may experience periods of no symptoms at all.

The symptoms of hay fever may vary from person to person and may include:

• Nose: Sneezing, stuffy nose, itchy nose, post-nasal drip
• Eyes: Itchy, watery eyes, red eyes, a feeling of grittiness in the eyes. Some people may have swelling or blueness of the skin around the eyes.
• Throat and Ears: Sore or itchy throat or ears, hoarse voice, popping in the ears.

Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis:

See your healthcare provider (you may come to Health Services!) for a discussion on how best to treat your allergies.

Most importantly, try to figure out what is causing your allergies and avoid exposure (for instance, if you are allergic to pollen, limit your time outdoors when pollen levels are high).

• Over-the-counter medicines: Antihistamines are available over-the-counter and help with itching, sneezing, and runny nose of allergic rhinitis. Examples of antihistamines are loratadine (Claritin®), cetirizine (Zyrtec®), and fexofenadine (Allegra®).
• Saline nasal spray: This is particularly useful for treating post-nasal drip, sneezing, nasal dryness, and congestion. The treatment helps by rinsing out allergens and irritants from the nose.
• Prescription nasal sprays: Steroids delivered by nasal spray are one of the best treatments for allergic rhinitis and dramatically improve symptoms for most people. See your healthcare provider for a prescription.

For more information visit Up To Date:

http://www.uptodate.com/contents/allergic-rhinitis-seasonal-allergies-beyond-the-basics

Attending class and not feeling well? Stop by Health Services for a visit. Health Services has a variety of professionals to assist in dealing effectively with health issues and problems facing students in the 21st Century. We provide students with Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and Physicians to meet your health related concerns. Health Services enables the "Student on the Go" to receive effective and beneficial medical treatment. Health Services is available to all enrolled full- and part-time, undergraduate and graduate students.

Schedule Your Appointment Online

Health Services is an appointment based office. You can schedule your own appointment online with Health Services.

Health Services would like to announce an exciting change to our approach to the scheduling of medical visits. This change is prompted by feedback from students asking for the opportunity to book medical appointments in advance.  In addition, we have measured waiting time and know that our students who make an appointment in advance have an average wait time of 5 minutes versus 15 minutes for those who walk in without an appointment. We will also be adding clinical staff to facilitate office efficiency and excellent care. 

To begin making your appointment, please click on the Schedule Your Appointment tab below.