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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes, usually. Video assessment, with a prescription when appropriate.
- Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) is diagnosed from your symptom pattern and season, so a video consultation can often provide enough information to assess it and start guideline-based treatment.
- Grass pollen peaks from May to July almost everywhere in Europe and is the most common trigger.
- Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing after an exposure, is not hay fever: call 112.
- Starting treatment two weeks before your pollen season makes antihistamines and nasal sprays noticeably more effective.
Hay fever is miserable rather than dangerous, but breathing problems are different. If pollen season also brings wheeze, chest tightness or breathlessness, book promptly and tell the doctor: these can be signs of asthma. Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or feeling faint after an exposure is not hay fever. Call 112 immediately.
Can an online doctor treat hay fever?
Yes, in most cases. Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) is diagnosed from the symptom pattern rather than a physical examination, so a video consultation can often provide enough information to assess it and start guideline-based treatment, from daily antihistamines to corticosteroid nasal sprays.[1] Product availability and prescribing rules vary by country, and one-sided or unusual symptoms still need in-person examination. The doctor tells you plainly which applies to you.
Listen: Hay Fever Treatment Online
The audio version of this topic from the Mobi Doctor podcast. Open the episode.
How an online consultation helps with hay fever
Treatment works best when it starts before your pollen peaks. The doctor maps your symptoms to the pollens in your region (birch in spring, grasses in early summer, ragweed in late summer) and times treatment accordingly.
If non-drowsy antihistamines are not holding your symptoms, the doctor can step treatment up after your assessment, including prescription sprays, tablets and eye drops.
Steroid nasal sprays often fail because of how they are used, not what is in them. The doctor can watch your technique on camera and correct it in a minute.
If severe symptoms persist despite proper treatment, the doctor can refer you for allergy testing and consideration of immunotherapy.
What the doctor checks in an online hay fever consultation
The assessment is structured, and much of it is designed to separate hay fever from its imitators. In a hay fever consultation, the doctor will typically check:
- Symptom pattern and itch: sneezing, a clear runny nose and itching of the eyes, nose or roof of the mouth on both sides point to allergy; one-sided symptoms, discoloured discharge or facial pain point away from it.[1]
- Seasonal timing: when in the year symptoms start and stop, matched against the pollen calendar for your region and any travel across pollen regions.
- What you have already tried: each antihistamine, spray or eye drop, at what dose, for how long, and what happened, because “tried and failed” often turns out to be “tried briefly or used incorrectly”.
- Nasal spray technique on camera: aim, head position and sniffing habits, which decide whether the medicine reaches the nasal lining it is meant to treat.
- Lower-airway symptoms: wheeze, chest tightness, night cough or breathlessness in pollen season, which raise the question of asthma and change the urgency.[3]
- Your eyes on camera: redness and watering show well on video and help confirm allergic conjunctivitis travelling with the nasal symptoms.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding and other medicines: these change which treatments the doctor recommends, not whether you can be helped.
It helps to prepare a short list of what you have taken so far, a note of when in the year symptoms start and stop, and any travel plans for the months ahead. If symptoms are affecting work, study or driving, say so: treatment can be timed around exams, shifts and travel.
When is pollen season in Europe?
European pollen seasons run from late winter to early autumn, and they differ sharply by region. Tree pollens such as hazel, alder and birch dominate roughly January to May, grasses peak from May to July almost everywhere, and weeds such as ragweed take over in late summer. Mediterranean regions add olive, cypress and near-year-round Parietaria.[2]
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Pollen | Main season | Where it hits hardest |
|---|---|---|
| Hazel and alder | January to March | Central and northern Europe |
| Birch | March to May | Northern and central Europe |
| Grasses | May to July | All of Europe, and the most common trigger |
| Olive and cypress | February to June | Mediterranean countries |
| Parietaria (wall weed) | March to October | Mediterranean coasts |
| Ragweed | August to September | Central Europe and northern Italy |
Two trends are worth knowing. European pollen seasons have been starting earlier and lasting longer in recent years, so “my season” can drift. And thundery weather during grass season can briefly fill the air with allergen fragments small enough to reach the chest; if storms reliably set off your symptoms, mention it, particularly if you also wheeze.
Travelling across pollen regions
If you travel or have relocated within Europe, symptoms may appear at unfamiliar times or vanish altogether. A grass-allergic person from the Netherlands may sail through July on a Spanish coast, where sea breezes keep counts low, yet struggle in April in Vienna if they also react to birch. Coastlines and mountains above the tree line are usually kinder; inland cities in pollen season are not. Check a local pollen forecast before you travel, pack enough of your usual treatment, and start a preventer spray around two weeks before expected exposure.[2] Carry treatment in hand luggage, and know your medicine’s ingredient name (for example cetirizine), because brand names change between EU countries and that makes pharmacy visits abroad slower than they need to be. An online consultation is an easy way to plan this, or to get treatment restarted, wherever in Europe you happen to be.
When is it not hay fever?
Hay fever is unlikely if symptoms lack itch, affect one side of the nose only, or come with fever, facial pain or discoloured discharge. Colds, sinusitis, non-allergic rhinitis and, for one-sided blockage, structural problems such as nasal polyps can all mimic it, and each is treated differently, so the pattern matters.
Colds and sinusitis
Both hay fever and colds cause sneezing and a runny nose, but hay fever itches (eyes, nose, ears, the roof of the mouth), produces clear, watery discharge, affects both eyes and tracks pollen exposure. A cold builds over a day or two, often brings a sore throat, and clears within about ten days. Facial pressure, thick discharge and symptoms that worsen after a cold suggest sinusitis instead; most sinusitis is viral and settles without antibiotics, which are only considered when there are genuine signs of bacterial infection. One-sided blockage, recurrent nosebleeds or a reduced sense of smell need an in-person examination rather than an allergy plan.
Year-round (perennial) symptoms
Sneezing and congestion that ignore the calendar point to indoor allergens (house-dust mites, pets, moulds) or to non-allergic rhinitis, where the nose over-reacts to smoke, temperature swings, strong smells or alcohol rather than to any allergen. The medicines overlap but the detective work differs, and non-allergic rhinitis often responds poorly to antihistamines, which is a diagnostic clue in itself. Itchy, red, watery eyes can also occur alone as allergic conjunctivitis, which frequently travels with hay fever and responds to its own drops. For dust-mite symptoms, the highest-yield measures are hot-washing bedding weekly and cutting bedroom clutter; special sprays and vacuums promise more than they deliver.
Do I need an allergy test?
Not usually. Hay fever with a clear seasonal pattern is diagnosed and treated from the history alone.[1] Allergy testing (skin-prick or blood IgE) earns its place when the diagnosis is unclear, when year-round symptoms muddy the picture, or when immunotherapy is being considered, because immunotherapy needs the allergen confirmed first.[4]
How can I reduce pollen exposure?
You cannot avoid pollen completely, but you can cut the dose: follow local forecasts, keep windows closed in the early morning and evening, shower and change clothes after time outdoors, wear wraparound sunglasses, and dry laundry indoors on high-count days.[5] Lower exposure makes every medicine on this page work noticeably better.
The details are worth knowing. Grasses release pollen most heavily in the early morning and again in the evening as the air cools, which is why bedroom windows matter more than daytime ones. Cars concentrate pollen unless ventilation is set to recirculate or fitted with a pollen filter. Pets carry pollen indoors on their coats during peak weeks. If you mow grass or garden in your season, a well-fitting mask genuinely helps, and a smear of barrier balm around the nostrils traps some of what you would otherwise inhale. None of this replaces treatment in a heavy season, but combined with it, many people get their evenings and their sleep back.
Which hay fever treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment follows how persistent and disruptive your symptoms are. This is the decision framework our doctors use, aligned with European and UK allergy guidance:[1]
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Presentation | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When referral or in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Occasional sneezing and itch on high-pollen days | Saline rinses plus a non-drowsy antihistamine as needed | Usually yes | Diagnosis unclear, or symptoms one-sided, bloody or painful |
| Persistent symptoms affecting sleep, work or study | Daily corticosteroid nasal spray with a technique check, continued through the season | Usually yes | No improvement after 2–4 weeks of correct daily use |
| Breakthrough symptoms despite a steroid spray | Combination antihistamine and corticosteroid spray; prescription eye drops for eye symptoms | Usually yes | Persistent failure despite combined treatment |
| Severe symptoms every season despite full treatment | Referral for allergy testing and immunotherapy assessment | Assessment and referral, not the immunotherapy itself | Immunotherapy is initiated and supervised by a specialist[4] |
| Pollen-season wheeze, chest tightness or night cough | Prompt review including an asthma assessment | Initial review, case-dependent | New breathing difficulty needs same-day in-person care; severe breathlessness is a 112 emergency |
Availability and prescribing vary by country; your doctor confirms what applies where you are.
Not sure which row is your hay fever? A doctor can tell you in one consultation. €47, exact price shown before payment.
See available times →Treatment options for hay fever
What you can do yourself
Saline nasal rinses clear pollen and mucus and can be used freely alongside any medicine. A non-drowsy antihistamine from the pharmacy, such as cetirizine or loratadine, is a reasonable first step for sneezing and itch, taken daily through your season rather than only on bad days.[5] Be careful with older, sedating antihistamines: if any allergy medicine makes you drowsy, do not drive or operate machinery. Antihistamine or lubricating eye drops from the pharmacy help itchy eyes while the rest of the plan takes effect.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation; the doctor matches the option to your pattern first. The most effective everyday treatment for persistent symptoms is a daily corticosteroid nasal spray, which damps the allergic inflammation itself; it needs correct technique and up to two weeks of regular use to reach full effect.[1] Availability varies across the EU (some sprays are over the counter in one country and prescription-only in the next), so the doctor prescribes what works where you live. If symptoms break through, options include combination sprays with an antihistamine and corticosteroid in one, prescription antihistamine tablets and eye drops, and occasionally, for a short and important occasion, a brief course of oral corticosteroids: a judgement call, never a routine fix. Long-acting corticosteroid injections are no longer recommended for hay fever because the risks outweigh the benefit.[1] For severe hay fever that resists all of this, allergen immunotherapy (retraining the immune system with tablets or injections over about three years) is a specialist option with good evidence for confirmed pollen allergy; who may initiate it depends on local regulations and clinical pathways, and the doctor can refer you for testing and assessment.[4]
Hay fever in pregnancy and while breastfeeding
Start with avoidance and saline rinses, which are unrestricted. Several antihistamines and nasal sprays have reassuring safety records in pregnancy, but the choice should be made with a doctor rather than assumed, and decongestant tablets are generally avoided.[1] Mention pregnancy or breastfeeding at the start of the consultation; it changes which options the doctor recommends, not whether you can be helped.
When we treat hay fever online, and when we refer you
We treat online: seasonal allergic rhinitis with a clear pattern; stepping treatment up when pharmacy antihistamines are not enough; technique reviews and treatment restarts; planning ahead for a season, an exam period or a trip; and hay fever with mild, clearly allergic eye symptoms.
We refer or redirect you: symptoms on one side only, recurrent nosebleeds, a blocked nose that never switches sides or a reduced sense of smell need in-person examination for structural causes such as polyps; a painful eye, marked light sensitivity or any change in vision needs an in-person eye assessment rather than allergy drops; severe symptoms despite full combined treatment deserve allergy testing and specialist immunotherapy assessment, which we arrange rather than attempt online; and new wheeze, chest tightness or breathlessness in pollen season needs a prompt asthma work-up, with same-day in-person care if breathing is affected now. In those cases the consultation buys you the right referral, not another spray.
When to get in-person care
Hay fever alone does not need emergency care. Call 112 immediately if you or someone with you develops swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, struggles to breathe or swallow, or breaks out in widespread hives with faintness or collapse: these are signs of anaphylaxis, a medical emergency. Get urgent in-person care the same day if pollen season brings new or worsening wheeze, chest tightness or breathlessness; possible asthma should never be left to ride out the season.
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: open daily 7am–11pm, often the same day, with the exact price, €47, shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about hay fever: a private video consultation, from anywhere in Europe.
- Leave with your plan the same day: everything agreed on the call, and if treatment is right for you, the prescription follows straight away, sent to a pharmacy near you in most EU countries. If we can’t help you online, you get a full refund.
Frequently asked questions about hay fever
Can an online doctor prescribe hay fever treatment in the EU?
Yes, an online doctor can prescribe hay fever treatment in the EU after a consultation. A prescription is never issued without one: the doctor assesses your symptom pattern by video first, then can prescribe corticosteroid nasal sprays, combination sprays, antihistamine tablets or eye drops and send the prescription to a pharmacy near you in most EU countries. Product availability differs between countries, so the doctor tailors the choice to where you live.
How much does a hay fever consultation cost?
A video consultation costs €47. The exact price is shown before payment, and there is no subscription. If the doctor can’t treat you online, you get a full refund and clear directions to the right care.
How quickly can I see a doctor about hay fever?
Appointments are available daily from 7am to 11pm, often the same day. Speed matters with hay fever: treatment started before your pollen season peaks controls symptoms better than treatment started at the height of it.
What can I do if antihistamines are not working?
The usual next step when antihistamines are not working is a daily corticosteroid nasal spray used with correct technique for at least two weeks, sometimes alongside the antihistamine. Do not simply take more antihistamines; that adds side effects, not relief. If symptoms still break through, a doctor can assess whether a combination spray, prescription eye drops or a specialist referral for immunotherapy is appropriate.
Why is my hay fever different when I travel in Europe?
Pollen seasons differ by region: birch dominates spring in northern and central Europe, grasses peak in early summer almost everywhere, olive and Parietaria affect the Mediterranean, and ragweed arrives in late summer in central Europe. Travelling can expose you to pollens you never meet at home, or give you a break, since coasts and high mountains usually have lower counts.
Can hay fever affect asthma?
Yes. The same allergic inflammation runs through the upper and lower airways, and poorly controlled hay fever makes asthma harder to control. If pollen season brings wheeze, chest tightness or breathlessness, arrange an assessment promptly rather than waiting for the season to end.
Is hay fever treatment safe in pregnancy?
Some treatments are considered suitable in pregnancy and while breastfeeding: typically saline rinses first, then certain antihistamines or nasal sprays chosen with a doctor. Decongestant tablets are generally avoided. Tell the doctor you are pregnant or breastfeeding at the start of the consultation so the plan is built around it.
- Allergic rhinitis: diagnosis and management (Clinical Knowledge Summary), NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2024.
- European pollen forecasts and pollen calendars, Polleninfo.org, European pollen information service, 2025.
- Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention (2026 update), GINA, Global Initiative for Asthma, 2026.
- Allergy guidelines, including allergen immunotherapy for allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, EAACI, European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2025.
- Hay fever: symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatments, HSE, Health Service Executive Ireland, 2025.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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