Hay Fever Can Cause Poor Sleep, Productivity Drop

By HealthAngle Staff

Investigators found that having hay fever can translate into an average of one hour of missed work per week.

A study at Ohio State University examined about 600 people with hay fever symptoms, including sneezing, watery eyes, and runny and itchy noses. Study participants cited a lack of sleep and a negative impact on their overall health as the two main reasons for missing work.

While the participants averaged an hour of missed work a week over the yearlong study, more hours were missed during the peak of hay fever season in the spring and fall, and fewer hours were missed over the rest of the year.

“Diagnostic testing followed by the right kind of treatment may mean less time out of work,” says Sheryl Szeinbach, the study’s lead author and a professor of pharmacy practice and administration at Ohio State University.

The impact of allergic rhinitis on work productivity, Primary Care Respiratory Journal,
Volume 16 Issue 2 April 2007.