National clinical trial to explore hay fever management for young Australians
By Melanie Vujkovic
Topic:Allergies
10m ago10 minutes agoWed 19 Mar 2025 at 7:42pm
A close up of a woman smiling.
Micaela Diaz, 28, from Brisbane, has suffered with hay fever her whole life. (ABC News: Melanie Vujkovic)
A new clinical trial is aiming to reduce symptoms for young Australians suffering with hay fever.
The National Allergy Centre of Excellence, hosted at Murdoch Children's Research Institute, has partnered with 17 general practices and allergy clinics across the country to launch the ARISE trial, which is calling on 14 to 29 year olds to participate.
"That's the peak age for onset and impact of allergic rhinitis, plus they're an age group that are usually pretty bad at complying with medication instruction," Professor Connie Katelaris, co-chief investigator and allergist at Campbelltown Hospital, said.
"We're including regional and rural people as well, whereas most trials usually centre on urban populations, and that's not fully representative.
Professor Connie Katelaris
Professor Connie Katelaris says many people with hay fever experience year-round symptoms due to indoor allergens like dust mites, pet dander and mould. (Supplied)
"And the other unique feature is it's all going to be online, so people who participate don't have to travel to a study centre."
The trial will see participants follow a specifically designed education package alongside their daily nasal spray and explore whether they experience less symptoms.
They'll receive weekly electronic alerts on how and when to use their spray, their region's pollen count, tips for managing symptoms and the latest research.
Man using nasal spray for hay fever
Professor Katelaris says often people don't use their prescribed nasal steroid spray correctly. (Adobe Stock: Eva)
Hay fever is a chronic condition for many
Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, can significantly affect people's lives, with symptoms ranging from sneezing and itchy eyes, to sinus and ear infections and difficulty breathing.
Despite seasonal triggers, such as grass pollen being a common cause of symptoms during spring and summer, many people with hay fever experience year-round symptoms due to indoor allergens like dust mites, pet dander and mould.
"When it goes on for so long, people get chronic symptoms, which is mainly characterised by nasal obstruction, and with nasal obstruction there's poor sleep," Professor Katelaris said.
A close-up image of pollen in a field
Hayfever symptoms depend on a combination of individual sensitivities and regional conditions. (Supplied: University of Melbourne)
"For those that also have asthma, allergic rhinitis really makes it difficult to get ideal asthma control."
Professor Katelaris said 70 per cent of people that suffered with hay fever didn't seek medical care.
"And of those that do, they're prescribed nasal steroid spray combined with an antihistamine but they don't use it correctly," she said.
"If they use it correctly, about 80 to 90 per cent of them will have very good or marked improvement.
"So this trial has been set up from the point of view of seeing if we can improve compliance and therefore get better outcomes for patients with allergic rhinitis."
A growing problem in Australia
Professor Janet Davies, NACE Respiratory Allergy Stream co-chair and head of Allergy Research at QUT, said there was "clear evidence" hay fever was becoming an increasing burden in Australia and more people were experiencing symptoms all year round.
"The National Health Survey data from 2022 shows that 24 per cent of Australians are reporting having hay fever, and I've been tracking that data now since 2001 and that's a one-and-a-half fold increase over that 20 year period," she said.
Professor Janet Davies.
Professor Janet Davies said there has been a three-and-a-half fold increase in exposure to grass pollen between the 1990s, compared to the last six years. (Supplied)
"Grass pollen definitely drives seasonal allergic rhinitis and, depending on where you are, it can extend for longer periods of time as well, because we've got different kinds of grasses contributing to that exposure."
She said in Queensland, there has been a three-and-a-half fold increase in exposure to grass pollen between the 1990s, compared to the last six years.
"We've also got research from our group and our collaborators showing that those subtropical grasses are extending further south," she said.
'I used to dread spring'
Brisbane woman Micaela Diaz, 28, has been suffering with the chronic condition her whole life, but said proper management improved her wellbeing.
"Before I figured out how to manage it, working with my doctors, and made a really solid plan for everyday management, I used to dread spring," she said.
"We would get to the end of winter when it's starting to warm up, and everyone's really excited, and I would just lament the fact that I would have to essentially spend spring closed up, so I wouldn't go out.
A woman writing on a notepad around bushes in Brisbane's southbank.
Micaela Diaz said before she had proper hayfever management, she couldn't go outside in Spring. (ABC News: Melanie Vujkovic)
"Seeing the impact that good hay fever management can have on your life — it takes you from being afraid of going outside on those days or afraid of saying yes to plans. It's like changing your hay fever to fit your lifestyle."
If successful, the trial will change the way hay fever is managed in the healthcare system.
Recruitment is open at clinics in every state and territory, with information available on the NACE website.
Posted10m ago10 minutes agoWed 19 Mar 2025 at 7:42pm
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