Can you develop hay fever later in life?
Yes, you can develop hay fever as an adult, even if you never had it as a child. Around one in four adults in the UK experience hay fever at some point in their lives. Adult-onset hay fever can develop due to changes in your environment, such as moving to an area with different types of pollen, or due to hormonal changes and genetic factors.
Key points:
- Hay fever typically begins in childhood or teenage years, but can appear for the first time at any age in adulthood.
- Environmental changes, such as exposure to new pollen types when moving to a different area, are a common trigger for adult-onset hay fever.
- Hormonal fluctuations and genetic predisposition can contribute to developing hay fever later in life.
- Some people's hay fever symptoms improve or disappear as they get older, with around 10-20% of sufferers experiencing complete symptom resolution.
This text has been fact-checked for accuracy by medino's clinical team.