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Service
Patient-centered evaluation and treatment for hay fever (allergic rhinitis) that identifies your triggers and relieves sneezing, congestion, and itchy, watery eyes.
This service is for people in New York with seasonal or year-round allergic rhinitis whose sneezing, stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and poor sleep flare from pollen or indoor triggers like dust mites, mold, or pet dander. It is especially helpful if symptoms are frequent, disruptive, or not responding well to over-the-counter treatment.
Diagnosis combines a symptom history with discussion of home and work triggers, and may include skin scratch or blood testing to pinpoint specific allergens. Treatment then pairs symptom relief, such as nasal corticosteroid sprays, antihistamines, eye drops, saline rinses, or allergy shots, with at-home trigger-control steps.
Hay fever, also called allergic rhinitis, can make everyday life feel harder than it should. One day it is “just sneezing,” and the next it is a stuffy nose, itchy eyes, poor sleep, and a constant need for tissues. If you live in New York, symptoms can flare during local pollen seasons and also from indoor triggers like dust mites or pet dander. (1-3)
At Allergy Asthma, hay fever treatment is offered in a patient-centered way, with the goal of helping you breathe easier and feel more like yourself again. We care for patients across New York and nearby areas, so it is common to see people coming in from neighborhoods like Washington Heights, Hamilton Heights, Staten Island, and Brooklyn (Bay Ridge) who are dealing with the same seasonal and year-round allergy triggers.
Hay fever is an allergy problem that affects the inside lining of the nose and often the eyes. When you breathe in allergens like pollen or dust, your immune system may overreact and release chemicals such as histamine, which causes sneezing, congestion, and itching. (1, 2)
Hay fever is not caused by hay and it is not a fever. It is a type of allergy reaction, and it can be seasonal, year-round, or both.
Hay fever symptoms are usually triggered by airborne allergens, and triggers can change based on the season and your environment. Common causes include:
Tree pollen (often spring)
Grass pollen (often late spring and summer)
Weed pollen (often late summer and fall)
Dust mites (common indoors year-round)
Mold spores (indoors or outdoors)
Pet dander (cats and dogs) (1–3)
In New York, many patients notice symptoms during peak pollen seasons, but indoor triggers can also cause persistent congestion throughout the year.
Hay fever is often diagnosed through a combination of symptom history and evaluation. If symptoms are frequent, disruptive, or not responding well to over-the-counter treatment, allergy testing may be recommended to identify triggers. (1, 2)
Evaluation may include:
Reviewing when symptoms happen, such as seasonal patterns or indoor exposure
Discussing home and work triggers like pets, dust, or mold
Skin scratch testing or blood testing to identify specific allergens (2, 3)
Knowing your triggers can help guide treatment choices and reduce unnecessary trial and error.
Hay fever treatment usually works best when it combines symptom relief with trigger control. Treatment options may include:
Nasal corticosteroid sprays, which reduce inflammation inside the nose (1–3)
Second-generation antihistamines, often less sedating than older options (1, 2)
Antihistamine eye drops for itchy or watery eyes (1, 2)
Nasal antihistamine sprays for faster symptom relief in some patients (1, 2)
Saline rinses to wash out pollen, dust, and mucus (2)
Allergen immunotherapy, such as allergy shots, for long-term reduction in sensitivity for certain patients (2, 3)
Your best option depends on symptom severity, triggers, and whether symptoms are seasonal or year-round.
Small daily changes can make a big difference, especially during pollen season. Helpful strategies include:
Keeping windows closed on high pollen days
Showering and changing clothes after being outdoors
Using a HEPA air filter in bedrooms when possible
Washing bedding regularly in hot water to reduce dust mites
Fixing water leaks and reducing indoor humidity to help prevent mold
Keeping pets out of bedrooms if pet dander is a trigger (1–3)
These steps do not replace medical treatment, but they can reduce the amount of allergen your body has to deal with.
At Allergy Asthma, we provide patient-centered evaluation and treatment for hay fever, with a focus on reducing symptoms and identifying triggers that may be driving inflammation. Because hay fever often overlaps with asthma, sinus issues, or eczema, our approach considers the full picture of your allergy health.
Whether you live in Washington Heights, Hamilton Heights, Staten Island, or Brooklyn (Bay Ridge), our team is committed to offering clear explanations and evidence-based options to help you breathe easier, sleep better, and feel more comfortable during allergy season and beyond.
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Brożek, J. L., Bousquet, J., Agache, I., Agarwal, A., Bachert, C., Bosnic-Anticevich, S., … Schünemann, H. J. (2017). Allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma (ARIA) guidelines 2016 revision. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 140(4), 950–958.
Dykewicz, M. S., Wallace, D. V., Baroody, F., Bernstein, J., Craig, T., Finegold, I., … Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters. (2020). Rhinitis 2020 practice parameter update. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 146(4), 721–767.