Hay fever and pollen allergy: what is it, how to prevent it abroad, and what to do about it while traveling?

What is hay fever?

Hay fever is an allergic condition in which the body overreacts to the presence of plant pollen.
The name pollen allergy is actually more fitting, as hay fever is not caused by hay and fever is rarely among the symptoms.
This reaction of the immune system causes an excessively high level of histamine in the body, leading to hay fever symptoms.
Hay fever is primarily a condition affecting the nose; however, due to nasal symptoms, symptoms often also occur in the ears, eyes, head, and even the entire body.
Hay fever is an allergy that often worsens over the course of life in people who had no symptoms at a young age; conversely, in people who experienced severe symptoms at a young age, the severity may sometimes decrease later in life and even practically disappear.

Hay fever is caused by pollen; therefore, plants with high pollen levels cause more hay fever symptoms.
Plants that are pollinated by wind usually produce more pollen than plants that are pollinated by insects or other animals.
Important wind-pollinated plants include: grasses, ragweed, birches, hazels, plane trees, olive trees, and cypresses.

You suffer the most from pollen during the season when wind-pollinated plants bloom.
For flowering trees, this is often the time before they bear leaves, in early spring.
For grasses, this is particularly severe in the summer.
Herbs such as ragweed bloom in the summer and sometimes for a while into the autumn.
Cypresses and olive trees are evergreen and bloom somewhat later in the spring.
On the steppe and savanna, many grasses bloom some time after the start of the wet season.
In the tropics, you are less likely to experience hay fever symptoms because pollination occurs much more frequently via insects and other animals. In a tropical jungle, therefore, you have more plants and trees, but not more pollen in the air.
In deserts, so little blooms that hay fever is unlikely to be a problem.
High in the mountains, there is less pollen in the air; only with unfavorable winds can pollen from lower areas still cause a nuisance.
Warm, dry weather with a breeze creates ideal conditions for the spread of pollen and is therefore particularly harsh for travelers with hay fever.
High humidity and rain actually help to reduce the amount of pollen in the air.

The choice of season and your destination have the greatest impact on hay fever.
If you do end up somewhere during pollen season, it can help to wear sunglasses, apply Vaseline under your nose and eyes, and touch your face as little as possible with unwashed hands.
Staying indoors also works well for severe symptoms, but that has a major impact on your travel experience.

Avoid: If you experience local symptoms, it may be beneficial for your holiday enjoyment to move to a less pollen-rich area.
Medication: People with hay fever often already have extensive experience with antihistamines or corticosteroids. When traveling, be sure to bring whatever you have had good experiences with.
Note: Some strong corticosteroids can cause problems at the border due to local legislation.

Have you run out of medication? In countries where you suffer from pollen allergies, many other people do too. At a drugstore or pharmacy, you can ask for a product with the same ingredient as the one you use at home.
You are more likely to be able to buy corticosteroid-based products at a pharmacy than at a drugstore.
The availability of medicines with or without a doctor's prescription varies greatly by country; discuss this with your doctor beforehand if necessary.
Consult your doctor (in advance) to see if there is any alternative medication that might be suitable for you if your preferred medication is not available locally.