Dealing with all the symptoms hay fever throws at you can often feel like a full-time job. Itchy eyes, a runny nose, a tickly throat… it can be hard to keep track of everything that’s going on, let alone find effective ways to deal with them.

But out of all the hay fever symptoms out there, there’s one which can prove particularly frustrating – mainly because it’s so visible. We’re talking, of course, about hay fever face – a term colloquially used to describe the facial puffiness that some hay fever sufferers experience when pollen levels rise.  

There are many reasons why facial puffiness can occur – overnight fluid build-up or after you’ve had a big cry, for example – but working out how to treat hay fever face can be particularly tricky, especially if it’s making you feel self-conscious.

So, to give you the information you need to take care of your hay fever symptoms this summer, we asked Dr Helen Evans-Howells, a GP who specialises in allergy care, to explain the link between hay fever and facial swelling, and how to minimise the impact it has on your day-to-day life. Here’s what she had to say.  

While there are some small things you can do to manage facial puffiness after it appears, the best way to deal with hay fever face is to stop the reaction from occurring in the first place by reducing your exposure to pollen.

“The primary way of reducing these reactions is to avoid exposure to the pollen wherever possible,” Dr Evans-Howells suggests. “During pollen season, it is sensible to keep windows and doors shut and consider investing in an air filter. Your washing should also be dried indoors so that the pollen does not attach to your clothes, and if you spend a long period of time outside, then have a shower as soon as you get in.”

Wearing wraparound sunglasses and taking care to remove pollen from the coats of dogs and cats can also help, Dr Evans-Howells says, as well as traditional hay fever treatments such as antihistamines and nasal steroid sprays.  

“Antihistamines block the response of the chemical histamine and particularly help with sneezing, itching and facial swelling,” she adds. 

Using facial ice tools – such as an ice roller or under-eye globes – can help to cool any irritation and reduce discomfort, as well as help to bring down any fluid retention which might be making your facial puffiness worse. 

If you’ve tried all the treatments but are still struggling with a puffy face and other hay fever symptoms, you should consider booking an appointment with your GP.

“The GP will have access to prescription antihistamines which can benefit some, as well as a prescribed combination nasal spray with antihistamine which tends to work well for many,” Dr Evans-Howells says.

“There will be a small proportion of people who will need a referral to an allergy service to consider immunotherapy (desensitisation treatment) to help improve their allergies for good. When immunotherapy is undertaken earlier in life this tends to have the most benefit and for some, their allergy will resolve altogether.”

For more information on dealing with hay fever, you can access a short course on Dr Evans-Howells’s website.

Images: Getty