Cans hay fever start at any age suddenly?

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DS 12 had never suffered from hay fever unlike dd who does suffer badly.

DS has been waking up congested for weeks on and off now. It subsides somewhat then comes back. He cannot of got this many colds. He is autistic and won’t let me use antihistamines or much else.

it doesn’t seem to effect him too badly but he does hate the feeling of a blocked nose!!

can it just crop up suddenly after 12 years? I’ve never suffered from it as such. Dd is on daily antihistamines but ds has always been fine until now!

Yes it can start anytime. Would he accept using a humidifier in the night? That may help with the congestion.

I was about 16 when I started having symptoms. My sister had it from a much younger age. Allergies can start at any time i believe.

Yes it can. My dad suddenly started suffering with it at 55. No changes in his environment. Weird 😕

Yes it can. And then it can get better as well! Or some years affect individuals worse than others.

Yes it can, I didn’t have hay fever until my 40s when I suddenly took against pine tree pollen. I suffered badly for twenty years - this year I have no symptoms whatsoever, so it can go as inexplicably as it came it seems.

Yes anytime

Yes.

And yes it can also get better. Mine was horrific in my teens and 20s but I only have a couple of days a year that I notice it now

My GP once told me it goes in 7 year cycles....

No idea who true it is or the science behind but I definitely had it worse in the past then better then worse again over a period of a number of years

I thought you’ve meant someone who is 85!
12 is absolutely normal age for hay fever to start, mine started when I was about 20.

Most definitely.

Yup, mine started mildly in my 40s then exploded into severe symptoms in my early 50s.

Yes, mine started in my 40s. When I was little, it was thought that if it hadn't shown by roughly primary age, then you'd never get it. But now we know it can be onset any age.

Apparently, there's quite an increase in the numbers afflicted by hayfever this year

Look online for nose massage. I do it regularly when I have a blocked nose (due to a cold), I don’t know why it works but it does!

It can take up to 10 mins to do IME.

I think hay fever can come and go, depending on pollen levels each year. I never experienced it as a kid, but occasionally get it now.

Thanks guys. Maybe I did look a bit silly asking. It’s just that he’s never been a child that’s suffered nasally with anything, unlike my other child!! He’s autistic so I am struggling to explain hay fever to him. He thinks he has a cold every other day 😂

My dad didn't start suffering with hayfever until he was in his 20s. He also developed asthma around the same time although it's not really related. My partner was in his 30s when his hayfever started! I hope you can find a solution for your son - remember that hayfever is generally worse in the mornings and evenings which is probably why he's struggling with sleeping.

Yes, might liquid antihistamines work for him? You get it over the counter for younger kids and calculate the right dose for his age

Yup. It can suddenly stop too. I had it for 3 years running in my 20s. Never had it again and hadn't had it before.

Yes. Never had it before. Turned 36 and have it badly this year

To be fair to him, I'm a grown autistic adult and thought I was coming down with a cold every day for weeks before it occurred to me that it could be hayfever 😅

I think I've had it for years but I didn't actually realise/start treating it as hayfever until summer 2021. This year has been particularly bad though and I'm medicated up to my (itchy) eyeballs.