Are Your Allergies Making You Tired
For many of us, environmental allergens like pollen, mold or dander trigger an allergic response, especially during peak seasons when their counts are at their highest. During an allergic reaction, inflammation often develops especially in your eyes, lungs, sinuses and throat. Inflammation can trigger other allergy symptoms including coughing, sneezing or headaches, and can prevent you from getting a good nights rest. The combination of a lack of sleep and congestion often leads to allergy-induced fatigue. If inflammation develops in your ears, they may not be able to drain properly, leading to fluid build-up. Fluid in your middle ear can make you feel dizzy, similar to having your head underwater. The longer you experience allergy symptoms, the more tired you will become, making school, work and other daily activities increasingly difficult.
The first step to managing your allergies is to identify which allergen affect you. Once you have determined the cause, an allergist can help you develop a treatment plan that will limit your exposure to the allergen and alleviate your symptoms.
If you experience allergy-induced brain fog or other allergy symptoms, you can try:
Over-the-counter medication:
Your allergist can help you to determine which medications, including antihistamines*, may be best for you. Antihistamine medications can help to combat feelings of fatigue by temporarily reducing the amount of swelling in your nasal cavity.
Allergy Shots:
Cleaning
How Your Seasonal Allergies May Be Causing Fatigue
For millions of people around the world, allergies can cause tremendous misery and discomfort. Allergens can not only provoke symptoms like a runny nose, sore throat, and watery eyes, but severe fatigue as well.
When most people think about seasonal allergies, their mind conjures up images of all the cold-like symptoms we commonly see in allergy-sufferers. And indeed, those symptoms can make any person with allergies dread certain times of the year. There is, however, one other symptom that is really familiar only to those who suffer from this condition: fatigue. Yes, anyone with seasonal or environmental allergies can also suffer from severe exhaustion as well.
How Are Food Allergies/sensitivities Diagnosed
People with food allergies know exactly what food causes their allergy. They eat peanuts or a product with peanuts in it and immediately have a reaction. Their food allergy was diagnosed using either blood tests or skin tests.
In an allergy skin test, a very small drop of a liquid food extract, one for each food, is placed on the skin. The skin is then lightly pricked where the food extract was dropped. This is safe and generally not painful. Within 15 to 20 minutes, a raised bump with redness around it, similar to a mosquito bite, may appear. This shows that you are allergic to that food.
There are two accepted methods in determining a food sensitivity:
Laboratory tests
Lab tests for food sensitivities measure IgG or IgA antibodies to particular food proteins. Ideally, a lab will test both, as you can have a reaction to one but not the other. Once a food allergy is ruled out food sensitivity tests are run. For example, if you suspect you react to peanuts, ruling out a peanut allergy should be your first priority. Should the food allergy test show that you are not allergic to peanuts, your doctor may decide to investigate a peanut or legume sensitivity.
Elimination or reset diets
Your fatigue is different than the fatigue of anyone else you know. Youre a unique snowflake and your nutrition should reflect this. Food might not even be the cause of your fatigue. But the only way to find out is to experiment.
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You Feel Tired After You Eat Certain Foods Is Fatigue A Symptom Of Food Intolerance Or A Food Allergy
We are paying so much more attention to how food affects our health, including our fatigue.
If you have a food allergy, your body creates antibodies when you consume a certain food. Symptoms of a food allergy can range from mild to severe, and the amount of food necessary to trigger a reaction varies from person-to-person. The most severe symptom is anaphylaxis, which is a hyper-reaction of the immune system that can cause restriction of the airways and a severe drop in blood pressure.
However, food sensitivities and food intolerances can also cause mild to severe effects. And included among these is fatigue.
So if you want more energy, you need to identify and remove the foods that trigger your immune system!
How To Fight Fatigue Related To Allergies
Dr. Chacko Featured on the Cover ofAtlanta’s Top Doctor Magazine
Far too many people deal with constant fatigue today. Unfortunately, individuals dont always know what causes their symptoms. Fatigue often manifests itself during the day after a restless night of sleep. Its a vicious cycle that never seems to end. These days, a number of health conditions can cause fatigue, but few people seem to consider allergies as the culprit. Fighting allergy fatigue requires a comprehensive approach. Finding out the exact allergy that is causing the symptoms is the best long term solution.
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Can Seasonal Allergies Cause Stomach Upset
My wife often starts a few young seedlings of spinach, lettuce, and tomatoes in a sunny window before they go outside for the spring.
Recently, when we had a few baby plants in the house, I started having headaches and stomach upset and couldn’t find a cause until I spotted a few little sprouts of pollen that had shot up from the baby spinach.
Once the offending plant was moved outside, my symptoms went away.
As a functional medicine doctor, I am used to seeing new patients who have been misdiagnosed for years due to symptoms that don’t quite fit the mold of a standard diagnosis.
There are, no doubt, many people unnecessarily suffering because of a misunderstanding of how we think of certain conditions.
Causes Of Pollen Allergies
For all allergies, the immune system reacts to specific allergy trigger molecules . Your immune system produces antibodies that detect the allergen and cause inflammatory reactions and the release of a chemical called histamine. Histamine causes hay fever symptoms, such as itchy and watery nose and eyes, and sneezing.
In Victoria, inland areas tend to have higher pollen counts and northerly winds can bring pollens from inland regions to the coastal areas, including Melbourne. In contrast, the east coast of Australia often has less pollen, because winds tend to blow in from the sea and the Great Dividing Range protects the coast from inland winds. In South Australia and Western Australia, levels of pollen in the air vary, depending on wind direction.
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Can Allergies Make You Tired How To Beat Allergy Fatigue
Its that time of year againspring means leaves returning to trees and blooming flowers. Unfortunately for allergy sufferers, it also means the reemergence of pollen, weeds, mold spores, and other common seasonal allergens.
Youre probably familiar with common allergy symptoms like coughing, sneezing, and watery eyes, but can allergies make you tired, too?
The short answer is yes, although it varies from person to person. Some people may just feel a bit sleepier than usual in the afternoon, while others experience fatigue thats so debilitating that it keeps them from being able to work or engage in everyday activities and hobbies.
Why do allergies make us tired, and is it possible to beat the fatigue? Florida Medical Clinic immunologist Dr. Daniel Reichmuth answers your questions about allergy fatigue and provides tips on how to alleviate your symptoms and start feeling more awake and alert.
Managing Your Seasonal Allergies
One of the most important things someone suffering from allergies can do is to identify the triggers. While some people seem to blame one trigger, it is possible that there are actually multiple triggers. It is not uncommon for those who suffer from spring allergies to show symptoms throughout the year. Some ways to avoid triggers include:
- Shower after being outdoors.
- Monitor pollen and mold counts, which are available on TV or in the news.
- Stay inside during peak pollen counts, which is the middle of the day of the afternoon.
- Wear a filter mask when working outdoors.
- Take preventive medication.
You can take other precautions as well, such as bathing and shampooing your hair each day to completely remove the pollen from your hair and skin. You should also wash your bedding in hot soapy water at least once a week.
You may need to wear sunglasses outdoors to protect your eyes from pollen. Those with severe allergies might find that a facemask is helpful during times when daily pollen counts are very high. It is also important to avoid line drying your bedding or clothes outdoors if the local pollen counts are high, as pollen can settle on these items.
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How To Treat Fatigue Caused By Allergies
If allergies are truly the source of your fatigue, treating the allergies is the best way to treat the fatigue. An ENT specialist or allergist can help you determine or confirm the root cause of your issues. After conducting an allergy test in the office or at home to diagnose your allergies, consider which allergy treatment option may work best to treat your fatigue and eliminate other symptoms.
Can You Tell The Difference Between A Food Allergy And A Food Sensitivity
With a food allergy, even one molecule of the offending foods protein can trigger a response. Your body will react as soon as the food is eaten. Thats why people with food allergies need to completely avoid foods they are allergic to.
Food intolerances can depend on how much is eaten and how often. People with food intolerances may not have symptoms when they eat a small portion of the food, or dont eat the food frequently. For example, if you have a sensitivity to dairy, having one small bowl of ice cream may not cause you any problems. However, theres a good chance you would wake up with diarrhea and brain fog after spending a night binging on Ben & Jerrys.
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Can Allergies Cause Fatigue And Body Aches
Once patients ask and receive the answer to the question, Can allergies cause fatigue? they are apt to wonder if allergies might be behind other frustrating symptoms. One of these lesser-known symptoms of allergies is body aches.
Allergies cause inflammation not only in your nasal tissues but in other areas of your body as well, including the tissues in your joints. This inflammation can cause body aches, which can be compounded by fatigue. Allergy-related body aches may also stem from frequent snoring or coughing, which can create wear and tear on a patients body.
Do I Have Fall Allergies Or Covid
DENVER From coughing to sneezing, and even that scratchy throat, how can you tell the difference between your allergies and COVID?
Most people who have allergies know what their allergies feel like and when they tend to peak, said Dr. Flavia Hoyte, an allergist with National Jewish Health,
The answer might not be as simple as it seems per the CDC definitions of symptomatic reportable illness so that you can also be sick with COVID-19 and not have a fever.
A fever does not accompany allergies, so if you have one it could be the first sign that you may want to get tested for COVID-19.
Allergies generally will not affect the lungs but can trigger asthma in people with allergic asthma. Allergies also typically do not cause a fever or extreme fatigue Dr. Hoyte said, some allergy symptoms, like nasal congestion or runny nose, also can be symptoms of viral infections such as a cold or COVID-19.
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Gluten Intolerance Wheat Allergy And Celiac Disease
Many people have found eliminating gluten from their diet has a good effect on energy levels. The reason might be that gluten, a protein in wheat ,barley and rye can damage the gut wall and lead to inflammation throughout the body. Wheat is the most common source of gluten in the American diet, a food that many people have eaten almost every day of their lives. Besides the repeated exposure which we are genetically not prepared to tolerate , there are subtle changes in the wheat protein itself through agribusiness farming methods.
Avoiding gluten is often accompanied by rapid weight loss, better energy, clearer thinking and less aches and pains. Unfortunately, this does not clearly happen in everyone who stops eating wheat. At times the benefits are more subtle leading people to give up on these restrictions even if in the long run it would be beneficial to stay off gluten. However, there are blood tests that can help identify who is gluten intolerant or wheat allergic that I have found useful in the many patients who do not easily improve with gluten avoidance.
The bottom line: diet, food allergy and gluten intolerance are major factors in fatigue and tiredness that need to be addressed to achieve the vitality and high level wellness we all strive for.
When To Contact A Doctor
A person should contact a doctor if they:
- have an ear infection or ear pain that gets worse or does not improve within a few days
- have a headache that lasts longer than a day or have frequent headaches
- have severe allergies
- think that they may have migraine headaches
- have headaches that affect their mental health or daily functioning
A person should go to the emergency room if they experience any of the following:
- a sudden, unexplained, very severe headache that makes it impossible to do anything else, along with other symptoms, such as nausea or tingling
- stroke symptoms, such as numbness on one side of the body or a drooping face
- loss of consciousness, a feeling of being very well, or a worry that their headache is an emergency
Some other symptoms a person might notice with a headache and dizziness include:
- nausea
When a headache or dizziness lasts for a long time, it is more likely that a person has a chronic or serious condition, such as migraine, head pressure from a tumor or infection, or a brain injury.
A person should avoid self-diagnosing and contact a doctor if they are concerned.
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Can Allergies Cause Fatigue And Dizziness
Another frequently overlooked potential symptom of allergies is that of dizziness. Your nasal passageways and middle ear are connected via a tube called the Eustachian tube, which plays a role in providing you with balance. When your allergies start acting up, your Eustachian tube may be affected, causing dizziness and even vertigo.
How To Get Tested For Allergies Causing Fatigue
As we have discussed above, both seasonal and year-round allergies can cause fatigue. Getting tested is the first step to feeling better if your allergies are triggered by pollens, animal dander, mold, dust mites, cockroaches, weather changes or possibly something else.â
âToday, testing for allergies can be both convenient and accurate. When combined with a detailed medical history, allergy testing can very often identify the specific trigger of your symptoms.âSays Ivor Emanuel, M.D, board certified allergy & otolaryngology specialist.
If your fatigue is caused by allergies, the best treatment is to get your allergies under control. Once you have been tested and have identified your allergies, you can work on avoiding triggers and controlling your environment. There are also other non-pharmaceutical and non drowsy medications available today.
Common allergy tests include:
- IgE Blood tests – If you have allergies, your blood will contain certain IgE antibodies that show youâre sensitivity to many possible allergen triggers.
- Skin tests – This involves pricking your skin with a needle to expose you to a small amount of an allergen. If youâre allergic, youâll develop a raised bump on the area of the allergen prick you are reacting to.
- Physical exam – There are many physical signs of allergies, from skin irritation to nasal and breathing problems. These may help your doctor diagnose your allergies.
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Talk To Your Allergist Right Away If You Are Suffering From Body Aches And / Or Cfs
You do not have to live with chronic pain and you do not have to live with fatigue. At Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Medical Group we have helped many patients with allergies, joint pain, and much more. We highly suggest you call us right away at 805-658-9500 for an appointment. We can do through testing to get the most accurate diagnosis which will lead us to the right treatment plan.
Consider Immunotherapy Allergy Drops
While allergy medications provide short-term relief from symptoms, and often lose their effectiveness if overused, immunotherapy is a more long-term approach to allergy fatigue treatment. Immunotherapy slowly introduces the body to more and more of the allergen it is allergic to so that it builds up a tolerance and no longer reacts as strongly. Allergy shots are an older form of immunotherapy that are very effective, but this treatment has some associated risks and requires frequent office visits. Allergy drops are just as effective but can be done easily from home with daily drops under the tongue, making this one of the best ways to manage and eliminate allergies causing fatigue.
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How To Prevent Allergy Fatigue
The best way to prevent allergy fatigue is to find an effective treatment option for your allergies. The first step in managing allergies and preventing symptoms like fatigue is to find out which specific allergens trigger your reactions. After this diagnosis, there are ways to minimize allergies and avoid fatigue. You can minimize allergy fatigue in several ways:
