How does pollen make you feel

When you have an allergic response to something like dust, pollen, or pet dander, your body also releases proteins called cytokines , which can cause inflammation in your nose. Allergies can also indirectly cause you to feel tired during the day by disrupting your sleep at night. Common medications like Benadryl diphenhydramine often cause drowsiness as a side effect. Fortunately, there are ways to manage fatigue and stay alert during allergy season.

An allergy test can help identify substances that trigger allergic reactions in your body. These substances, known as allergens , can be things you breathe in, things you touch, or things you eat. A skin prick allergy test involves exposing the skin on your arm or back to small amounts of allergens to then see what you react to. A blood allergy test can also check for allergens and is useful if you take a medication that can interfere with results or if your doctor suspects you may have a severe allergic reaction to even a tiny amount of an allergen.

There are many ways to avoid or reduce your exposure to allergens. Antihistamines are a common and effective way to manage seasonal allergies, and modern allergy medicines like cetirizine, which is found in Zyrtec are less likely to cause drowsiness than older antihistamines.

To help reduce drowsiness and feel more alert during the day, take your daily antihistamine in the evening rather than first thing in the morning. Consistency is also key to reducing the drowsiness caused by antihistamines—the longer you take a daily allergy medication, the more easily your body will be able to tolerate those side effects.

Allergy shots involve exposing your body to small amounts of an allergen to build up your immunity over time. These shots are formulated for your specific allergies, and some people find that getting shots regularly can reduce or even eliminate their symptoms. Sometimes, fatigue that you think might be caused by allergies may be caused by another condition, such as an iron deficiency, sleep apnea, or a chronic illness. There are many different causes of fatigue, so you should talk to your doctor about your concerns and find a solution together.

They may recommend getting additional tests, like a scan or blood draw, to rule out other potential causes. To learn more, schedule an appointment today with Dr. Symptoms of asthma include:. Hay fever is also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, because the symptoms appear only when it is pollen season. Hay fever originally only referred to allergies caused by grass pollens, but the term is now also used to describe the symptoms of rhinitis inflammation of the mucous membrane inside the nose.

People with hay fever are more likely to develop sinus infections , and can have interrupted sleep that leads to extreme tiredness. Severe hay fever symptoms can affect learning in children and productivity in adults. Hay fever can also make it more difficult to control asthma in those who are more likely to get it.

For all allergies, the immune system reacts to specific allergy trigger molecules allergens. 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.

The season for pollen allergies can last for several months and occurs when the plants are flowering. This will vary depending on location and the type of plant. For instance:. A wheat allergy is often confused with coeliac disease and gluten sensitivity also known as gluten intolerance. Wheat allergy is an immune response to allergy triggers allergens in wheat, including molecules in the pollen and seed.

Wheat allergies can cause symptoms of the digestive system cramps, nausea or vomiting , as well as those described for the pollen allergies. Symptoms can occur after eating or touching wheat, or products containing wheat. In contrast, coeliac disease is a condition where your own immune system damages the intestine in the presence of gluten.

Gluten sensitivity is not an allergic reaction, but a food intolerance or sensitivity. Asteraceae is a family of flowering plants, including many common species, and some are used in herbal medicines.

Pollen from plants in this family is a common cause of hay fever, asthma and dermatitis. Echinacea can cause severe allergic reaction anaphylaxis , asthma attacks, severe hives and swelling in some people, and this can occur when the first dose of echinacea is taken.

Pollen from plants in the Asteraceae family can also cause an allergic skin reaction on contact. The pollen can be found in herbal medicines, shampoos, cosmetics and massage oils, and includes pollen from plants such as the:.

Sensitisation to pollen of plants from the Asteraceae family has also been linked with allergic reactions to other substances that are similar. This is known as cross-reactivity and has caused allergic reactions to:. If you have allergic symptoms that seem to appear at certain times of the year, you should visit your doctor, who will ask some questions about your allergic reactions.

You can also discuss your record of your symptoms. To test for an allergy to pollens, the allergist may use a skin prick test or a blood test for allergies. Allergy shots can be helpful in reducing fatigue because they provide fast and nondrowsy allergy relief. Talk to your doctor about what allergy shots might work best for you. Some people with allergies can reduce their symptoms by using a neti pot.

The solution can help clear your nasal passages and reduce swelling caused by allergies. This can reduce your fatigue. Allergies cause sneezing, itchiness, runny nose, coughing, and other unpleasant symptoms.

Allergies are annoying enough without fatigue thrown into the mix. And these annoying symptoms often make it hard to get any rest at night, leaving you tired all day. Allergy brain fog is unpleasant and can make it hard to function in school, work, and other daily activities.

The good news is there are many ways to get allergy relief and get rid of your brain fog. Knowing your allergies can also help you determine which allergens to avoid. Neti pots have been used for many years as a remedy for allergies and other conditions. Learn what the benefits are and how to practice nasal….

Antihistamines are drugs that can relieve allergy symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, and congestion. Many over-the-counter brand-name…. Zyrtec and Claritin are similar over-the-counter allergy medicines. Can people with allergies also blame this on seasonal allergens? The answer is yes; there are several ways that seasonal allergies can make us feel low on energy.

An allergy or allergic reaction is, by definition, a fight that the body puts up when it's faced with a foreign invader, such as pollen, said Dr. This energy expenditure wears out the body and "some of the same chemical signals … in addition to fighting off what it sees as an enemy, makes you feel unwell" and rundown, she said.

This effect in seasonal allergies is like a watered-down version of the extreme tiredness that can overtake people who eat something they're allergic to.