Are you sneezing, wheezing, running and itching without knowing why? Relief, in the form of a reliable diagnosis of hay fever, could soon be yours.

An almost 100 per cent accurate blood test for one of the most common causes of hay fever has been developed by Brisbane researchers.

The research, by The University of Queensland and Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, promises relief for the tens of thousands of hay fever sufferers who endure the annual misery when the pollen count soars.

World-renowned subtropical pollen allergy expert Dr Janet Davies has isolated the exact molecule in Bahia pollen that causes so much grief.

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Dr Laman Langguth and Dr Janet Davies have trialled the first accurate blood test for hay fever. Source: Supplied.

Introduced from the US, Bahia grasses pollinate longer than many native grasses – from spring through to autumn.

“Here in Australia, grass pollen allergy accounts for about two-thirds of all hay fever, with Bahia grass a major culprit, especially in the northern states of Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and parts of New South Wales,” Dr Davies said.

In collaboration with Dr Daman Langguth and his team at Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, Dr Davies has developed and trialled the first accurate test.

The only testing previously available was based on an extract of the pollen itself, which could be confused by other allergens and proteins in each batch, the time of year, the way the pollen was harvested, and even by how the pollen was transported and stored.

“Now that we have the specific molecule responsible, we have a highly-accurate and reliable test to determine if someone is susceptible to this allergen,” she said.

According to Dr Laman Langguth, the test is approximately 97 per cent accurate, which he said is “exceptional” for any lab test and makes it a highly valuable diagnostic tool.

“What is tremendously exciting is that the test not only allows for a more accurate diagnosis but it opens up the way for more successful treatments for people with severe hay fever for whom standard medication and pollen avoidance don’t work and for those whose asthma is affected by allergies,” Dr Langguth said.