General News
24 August, 2026
Hay fever season sends Aussies searching
The sights of rolling green hills and nature reserves full of bright golden wattle might sound idyllic to some, but to others it means sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy eyes.
This content was created in partnership with Google Trends.
Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis in the medical world, affects more than 5.5 million Australians.
It can be triggered seasonally by pollen and grass or year-round by dust mites and animal fur.
While for some it can lead to a lousy afternoon, for others it is a chronic ailment that can last months every year.
The past five years of Google Trends data show Australians start searching for hay fever and allergic rhinitis at the start of August.
Searches peak in mid-October, then fall to normal levels by January.
Google shows that users have asked many questions in the past 12 months, possibly while enduring an itchy throat or a blocked nose. The majority came from Victoria.
Questions such as “Is hay fever genetic?” and “When does hay fever season end?” have increased by 500 per cent in the past 12 months, while the plea “how to stop hay fever immediately” jumped 650% during the five years.
The simple question “hay fever London” highlighted how Australians were willing to move to the other side of the world to avoid symptoms.
Treatment ideas also see a massive increase between August and January, with Google Trends showing a 300% jump in “new antihistamine australia” in 2026.
While Victoria is the home of “hay fever” and “allergic rhinitis” searches for Australia, Tasmania is the king of the “antihistamine” search term, pulling out keywords like “dexchlorpheniramine” like they are veteran chemists.
Similarly, Western Australia are more at home looking up “decongestant”.
Spring might still be weeks away, but hay fever season is already stirring, with Australians starting to search for answers from August.
“This content is part of a paid partnership with Google to promote Google Trends.”