Bad hay fever - keep off school?

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Hi, just posting for advice while I wait for the doctors surgery to open.

My DS is 7 and has had hay fever every summer since he was 2, but this year it has been particularly bad. His nose is constantly blocked so he can’t breathe properly at night, and he’s got swollen and sore eyes. Our usual routine from last year was Benadryl morning and evening, prevalin kids nose spray, boots hay fever eye drops and olbas oil for the blocked nose, and this seemed to at least keep it at bay, but in the last week it all seems to have stopped working.

My question is - he is refusing to go to school as he says he can’t breathe and his eyes are too swollen - would you let him stay home or send him in? I’m going to try and get a GP appointment for today, but in the meantime he has fallen back to sleep as I think he’s so tired due to his nose keeping him awake at night, and the usual tactics to convince him to go to school aren’t working! What do I do?! I have to go to work so obviously would much rather he goes in, and hay fever seems like a slightly feeble excuse for missing school, but when it’s this bad is it excusable?

I have had DS sent home from school due to his hay fever and I've had to keep him off before, poor thing couldn't see.
He gets all the symptoms- swollen itchy eyes, sniffing, nose bleeds, wheezing, hives and nose bleeds.
Only recently after it being recommended on here did we manage to wrangle a prescription for fenofexadine. It has changed his life honestly! He is 12 so has to take it tablet form, not sure what age they can prescribe from.

@aldgadgie thanks, I just googled fexofenadine and it is under the brand name Telfast which I was prescribed for hay fever as a child and I remember they did help. I’ve managed to get a GP appointment so will ask them about it.

My son is 11 and has suffered from hayfever since 2. He was so bad that we were referred with lots if pushing to St Thomas'. He then went a desensitisation programme for 3 years with Grazax. It has made such a difference. He still uses antihistimines, eye drops (opatanol), and this year Nasonex. The nasonex seems to have really helped, I was a bit concerned as its a steriod but he seems ok with it so far.

@Generallyok I know this is an old thread but just in case... We just started Grazax and my daughter's not had a great reaction to it. There's not a lot of info about it (from people not the medical profession) and just wondered how long it took the side effects to settle down if any? Thanks!