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Article: It's time for hay fever.
- Article from:
- Pediatrics for Parents
- Article date:
- April 1, 1993
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Pediatrics for Parents, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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British farm folk gave the name "hay fever" to an allergic condition that plagues millions of Americans every spring, summer and autumn. In warmer parts of the country it can be a year-round problem.
The name originated In the early 1800's when English farmers found that during the hay harvest some of them started wheezing and sneezing. Their eyes itched, their noses were stuffy. and they suffered from congestion. Associating their misery with the hay all around them, they called their condition "hay fever."
It has remained "hay fever," although everyone now knows that seasonal allergic rhinitis (its proper name) does not produce a fever and is not ...