How Does Hay Fever Affect Asthma?

Content by

Chemist Click

Authored by

Abbas Kanani MRPharmS

Last Updated

08 July 2025

Table of Contents

Why Does Pollen Make Asthma Worse?
Worsening Asthma Symptoms to Watch For
When to Get Medical Advice

If you’ve got asthma and struggle with hay fever, you’re not alone.

You might’ve noticed your symptoms getting worse when allergy season hits; that’s no coincidence. Hay fever and asthma often go hand in hand, and when left unmanaged, allergic triggers like pollen can make breathing problems much harder to control.

In this guide, we’ll break down how hay fever can impact asthma, why the two conditions are so closely linked, and what you can do to stay one step ahead of both.

Why Does Pollen Make Asthma Worse?

Pollen can cause trouble for people with asthma because it acts as a powerful trigger for inflammation in the airways.

When someone with asthma breathes in pollen, their immune system can overreact and treat it like a harmful invader.

This causes the body to release chemicals like histamine, which leads to swelling, mucus production and tightening of the muscles around the airways. This can make it much harder to breathe.

Spring and summer can be especially tough since that's when pollen levels are highest. It can cause seasonal asthma, when symptoms get worse during certain seasons because of environmental changes and triggers like pollen in the spring or cold air in the winter.

Worsening Asthma Symptoms to Watch For

If you have asthma, it’s important to keep an eye out for signs that your symptoms might be getting worse.

These symptoms may be subtle at first, but paying attention can help you catch a flare-up early and avoid a full-blown asthma attack. Here are a few asthma signs to watch for:

Needing your rescue inhaler more often than usual
Feeling short of breath even with mild activity
Waking up at night coughing or wheezing
Trouble speaking in full sentences without pausing for breath
Chest tightness
A noticeable drop in your peak flow meter asthma readings

When to Get Medical Advice

Hay fever symptoms are usually managed well with over-the-counter antihistamines.

You should reach out to a doctor if your asthma symptoms start changing or getting worse, especially if they don’t improve with your usual medications.

Whilst all of our content is written and reviewed by healthcare professionals, it is not intended to be substituted for or used as medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.