Do you say 'Hay fever' or 'Allergies'?

[Dark Lum Lord]

Really, I don't think I've ever said 'hay fever' in my entire life thus far.

[rolesfamily]

Well the poll is tied!

[Imco]

Well, I say hay fever, because in Dutch it's hooikoorts which directly translates to hay fever

[Xenon]

Maybe hay fever could be an Americanism for allergies?

[Matyuv]

Allergies.

[Reese Riverson]

Maybe hay fever could be an Americanism for allergies?

I'm american and I say allergies.

[rolesfamily]

It sounds more American to me to say 'allergies'

[MrBadGuy]

I would refer to an allergic reaction to grass pollen as hay fever, just 'cos that's what we learned here in Anglend.

[Adsolution]

Maybe hay fever could be an Americanism for allergies?

He'll no, I started this thread because British people like Master and Roles always say 'Hay Fever', and no one I've ever met in real life, nor any North American I know, says it.

[rolesfamily]

It's probably a British thing.

[Master]

I have to concur with the current sentiment, seems to me that saying Hay Fever is more dominant on our side of the pond.

[Xenon]

In that case, it's possible it could be a regional variation, as I've never known people refer to allergies as hay fever. Maybe it's just me though

[sonicbrawler182]

Saying hay fever isn't a British thing, it's a specification.

This thread is like if I made a thread asking "do you say cancer or lung cancer?".

Lung cancer is a cancer in a specific part of your body.

Hay Fever is as specific type of allergy. If you went to a doctor to get treatment for it, you'd have to actually say you want something to treat hay fever. Otherwise, they won't have a clue what you want, as there are many kinds of allergies.

Hay Fever is an allergic reaction to grass pollen grains. But there are many other kinds of allergies one can have. So whether or not you make the distinction isn't a cultural thing, you're just flat out being vague. If you told me someone had allergies, I'd ask "what kind of allergies?", not "oh allergies, you mean that thing where you sneeze and your eyes go swollen when there's a bunch of pollen around?".

[Xenon]

Of course, but the message I've gleaned from this thread is that there are people, for now we'll just say, "elsewhere", who refer generally to allergies as 'hay fever'.

[sonicbrawler182]

I haven't seen anyone refer to "allergies" collectively as "hay fever". Whenever people were talking about having hay fever, I assumed they literally meant the pollen allergy, since I myself have it too. I've only seen the other way around, but I don't understand it. Hay fever is an allergy, but I don't see why people would go out of their way to not refer to it by it's specific name, unless they really didn't know better.

If the OP is asking whether not I say "hay fever or allergies in relation to allergies in general", then I may have voted incorrectly, as I voted "hay fever" assuming that the OP was asking whether or not I actually refer to hay fever by it's name, or if I use the general label of "allergies" for hay fever itself. If the OP is talking about the former scenario, then my vote should be "allergies". Because allergies is the collective term, while hay fever is just a specific kind of allergy.

[beebo44]

I have never in my life said hay fever. Literally. Wow that's interesting huh?

[Adsolution]

I'm asking whether or not you say 'hay fever' at all, basically, and in that sense, I'm referring to the pollen reaction. I've heard British people refer to all allergies as 'hay fever' as well as only the pollen reaction, and most people over here never seem to say 'hay fever' at all. I don't know if this is precisely the reason why, but maybe there's a continental difference as there are so many different things that cause allergic reactions here, since for instance, my allergies are caused by cottonwood and not pollen. 'Hay fever' is just one of many things, so it would almost seem strangely specific to refer to only that allergy with a different name.

[Master]

Hm, fascinating, I believe I refer solely to the pollen reaction when using "Hay Fever." Though I'm not quite sure if that's the general case.

[Cairnie]

Hmm that's funny, I've never heard anyone call their hayfever just allergies here. I can imagine there are similar allergies like to dander, dust (which I suspect I may have too) and other dusty type things but with these they just call them allergies.

I don't really get it tbh and the only reason I suspect a dust allergy (albeit mild) is because I sneeze quite a lot like every day and not just summer.

[Xenon]

Yeah, Wiki claims that "hay fever" refers to an allergic inflammation of the nasal airway, when an allergen is inhaled. I suppose that gives hay fever a more general definition as it doesn't relate specifically to a pollen reaction.