Hay fever is caused by allergens such as pollen or dust, which leads to inflammation and symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose or watering eyes.

You may find you react to different pollens throughout spring and summer. Tree pollen affects people between March and May, and grass pollen between June and July. Weed pollen is less common, but can occur between July and September.

There are several options to help treat hay fever. Daily antihistamine tablets will help to manage most symptoms, and nasal sprays and eye drop solutions can also be used to treat specific areas of irritation.

During hay fever season, it’s important to take an antihistamine tablet daily to manage your symptoms during this time.

You might experience some drowsiness, nausea or a dry mouth. These are uncommon side effects, and normally happen in the first few days of taking Cetirizine.

Another rare side effect that can occur with Cetirizine is a fast heart rate. If this happens, you should stop taking this medicine and contact 111 or your GP for further advice.

Always read the patient information leaflet before commencing treatment.

View patient information leaflet.

Cetirizine is an antihistamine. It helps to relieve the symptoms of allergies, such as hay fever, hives and eczema.

Cetirizine reduces the amount of histamine your body produces during an allergic reaction, which helps to relieve symptoms such as itching, swelling and sneezing.

Cetirizine should get to work quickly, so you should expect to see results within the first day of taking it.

Hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis) is an allergic reaction that causes inflammation of the inside of the nose. It's a very common condition, estimated to affect around 1 in every 5 people in the UK.

Cetirizine is not recommended for breastfeeding women to take. It is also unsuitable for patients with kidney problems.

Cetirizine is a tablet that should be taken once daily to help manage hay fever symptoms. It can be taken with or without food.