Allergies Body Aches And Other Symptoms
When you think of seasonal allergy symptoms, the first thing that comes to mind probably isn’t body aches. However, allergies do cause a full-body response. Your immune system decides that the offending substance is “foreign” and sends chemicals to fight it off. The most common symptoms of allergies often include:
- Sneezing
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Fatigue
How Can Seasonal Allergies Change Uremias Make You Tired And Weak
The frequency of seasonal allergies makes us tired. The symptoms of seasonal allergies include runny noses and coughs as well as drowsiness and poor concentration because, if left untreated, they can worsen the condition. In response to foreign invaders, your body works hard for control. Allergy fatigue occurs when your body is not able to fight them off.
Listening To The Symptoms
Right now many people are anxious and concerned with COVID-19 being so widespread, Dr. Siegel says. But I tell parents that while the symptoms of allergies and COVID-19 can be similar, there are some concrete ways to tell which one their child is experiencing so they will know how to treat it.
Here are several differences that can be important clues:
- An illness like COVID-19 causes a system-wide response, while an allergy, which is an overreaction of the immune system in response to exposure to a trigger, is usually more localized. For instance, a child with a flu or COVID-19 may have a fever, body aches, chills, a sore throat, weakness, and respiratory symptoms. Someone with allergies will be more likely to have the symptoms centered on the nose, eyes, and throat, and they usually wont have a fever.
- Allergies cause itchiness: itchy eyes, itchy nose and sneezing, and a tickle in the throat, she says. Itchiness is usually not a symptom of illness.
- COVID-19 doesnt seem to cause much in the way of nasal symptoms, Dr. Siegel says. That means if your child is sneezing a lot, its more likely allergies, a cold, the flu, or another illness that isnt related to COVID-19.
- Children with allergies may also have asthma, which can cause wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness. While many people with COVID-19 also have a cough and chest tightness or difficulty breathing, most of the time this isnt accompanied by wheezing, Dr. Siegel says.
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How Do Allergies Cause Fatigue
Yes, allergies can make you feel tired. Most people with a stuffy nose and head caused by allergies will have some trouble sleeping. But allergic reactions can also release chemicals that cause you to feel tired. These chemicals help fight your allergies but also cause swelling of your nasal tissues that can make your symptoms worse. A lack of sleep and constant nasal congestion can give you a hazy, tired feeling.
Experts call this fatigue caused by allergies a brain fog. Brain fog can make it difficult to concentrate and carry out school, work, and daily activities.
If youre experiencing the effects of brain fog, there are some things you can do to feel less tired. First, youll need to stop the cycle of allergy symptoms and fatigue. You can try:
So Can Seasonal Allergies Really Cause Back Neck And Joint Pain
Yes! It sounds strange but seasonal allergies can absolutely cause back, neck, and joint pain. The main reason for this is because allergies cause inflammation. This inflammation is caused by your body trying to rid itself of the allergens causing the reaction.
Another factor in increased joint pain during allergy season is fatigue. Because your body is working so hard to fight these foreign allergens, you can become exhausted easily, which has been known to exacerbate joint pain. Sneezing, coughing, and wheezing can also cause sore muscles and joints.
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How To Manage Symptoms
Although not often discussed, seasonal allergies can lead to body aches and pain in addition to other symptoms like congestion, coughing, and watery eyes. This is due to increased inflammation in the body. Repeatedly coughing and sneezing can trigger even more pain. Read more to learn how to better manage seasonal allergies and help prevent body aches.
Verywell / Mayya Agapova
Surprising Signs You Have An Allergy Or Sensitivity
Allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities dont always turn up as a runny nose and itchy eyes. According to Leo Galland, MD, coauthor of The Allergy Solution, allergies are great mimics because they can manifest in unexpected ways. Many people may be suffering an allergy or sensitivity-related symptom and have no idea that an underlying immune reaction is the root cause.
These are some of the common symptoms of a sensitivity-related reaction or allergy that, on the surface, appear to be something else.
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Food Allergies Vs Food Intolerances
In food allergies, blood tests show an immune system response. In extreme cases, people go into anaphylactic shock if they eat a tiny amount of a food they are allergic to.
In food intolerances, food sensitivities, etc, nothing shows up on blood tests and other lab tests. Something is obviously going on here, even if the tests dont show it you can call it food intolerance, or food sensitivity if you prefer.
Is it all in your head? Consider this: Someone who has been avoiding dairy, and having less pain, suddenly gets an attack of severe pain. They find out that something they ate contained small amounts of dairy. They didnt know it had dairy when they ate it, and it caused them pain. It was not in their head.
Myth: Food allergy is the same as food intolerance. Fact: A food intolerance is non-allergic by definition
Science-Based Pharmacy
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Can Pollen Allergies Cause Body Aches
Pollen allergy is very common millions of Americans are affected by this allergic reaction. An individual can be allergic to the pet dander, pollen, foods, dust and even plants. But, can pollen allergies cause body aches?
Discomfort is the main issue with pollen allergy. Sneezing, watery eyes, itchy throat and wheezing are common symptoms of pollen allergy. Hives, itchy skin, cough and body aches are not frequent.
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What Is An Allergic Reaction
An allergic reaction is the way your body responds to the allergen. A chain of events occur that result in an allergic reaction.
If you are prone to allergies, the first time youre exposed to a specific allergen , your body responds by producing allergic antibodies. The job of these antibodies is to find the allergens and help remove them from your system. As a result, a chemical called histamine is released and causes symptoms of allergies.
Can Allergies Affect Joint Pain
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If you suffer from allergies, you likely know the toll they can take on your sinuses. But what about the rest of your body? Can allergies affect joint pain? Believe it or not, allergies, whether seasonal or food-related, can affect joint pain. Allergy symptoms appear for a variety of reasons, but some symptoms like joint pain may occur because of the humidity and rapid temperature changes that accompany the spring season.
During allergy season, many individuals experience a spike in allergy symptoms, particularly when there is a high pollen count. Some individuals will have mild symptoms like a stuffy nose and sneezing.
Others, on the other hand, can experience pain in their neck, back and joints. Joint pain is widespread. A national survey showed one-third of adults claimed to have experienced joint pain within the previous 30 days.
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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.
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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Find Out Your Allergens
The first step in getting rid of your brain fog is finding out whats causing your allergies. If you dont know what youre allergic to, you should visit a doctor who specializes in allergies. Theyll run tests to find out whats causing your symptoms.
Common allergy tests include:
- Skin tests. This involves pricking your skin with a needle to expose you to a small amount of an allergen. If youre allergic, youll develop a raised bump in the spot of the allergen.
- Blood tests. If you have allergies, your blood will contain certain cells that show youre sensitive to certain allergens.
- Physical exam. There are many physical signs of allergies, from skin irritation to nasal and breathing problems. These can help your doctor diagnose your allergies.
How To Deal With Allergies
When it comes to dealing with, especially unknown allergies, it is recommended to avoid self-medicating at all costs. Its important to get tested in order to know what triggers the allergies. Some home remedies may contain the allergens that cause your allergies and it would only worsen the whole situation.
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Why Do I Have Body Aches And Chills But No Fever
Infection. Just like with the flu virus, your body can turn on the chills in response to other infections. This may help your immune system kick in faster and work better. Chills are a common symptom of infections like pneumonia, urinary tract infections , and malaria.21 2019 .
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I Have A Sore Throat A Cough A Headache And Some Muscle Aches As Well But No Fever Could It Be Covid
Many seasonal allergies cause sore throat, and can aggravate a cough or underlying asthma, or sinus headaches. Body aches are typically something that accompanies fevers, including the flu or COVID-19 . But as many people continue to work in less ergonomic work-from-home offices, such as a couch or kitchen table, minor muscle injuries and fatigue can happen, which can feel achy. Add the stress and difficulty of this historic time, and many people may not feel their best.
Sore throat, cough, and headache alone dont necessarily mean you have COVID-19, says Dr. Fung. But if you start to have some of the other key symptoms of COVID, such as cough or loss of smell, or a change in the allergy symptoms that are normal for you, you may want to get tested
One of my patients complained of noticing a moldy smell that didnt go away, despite taking her allergy medication more regularly, says Dr. Fung. That patient ended up testing positive for COVID-19.
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Is It Allergies Or The Flu
It can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between symptoms caused by allergies and those caused by colds or the flu, but there is one crucial difference: a fever.
If you are experiencing any kind of fever, even if it is low-grade, this is almost certainly not a case of allergies. Moreover, symptoms like chills, body aches, fatigue, and headaches are extremely common when it comes to the flu, but generally do not happen as a result of allergies.
Thus, taking a close look at what kind of symptoms you are experiencing can help you make that distinction.
Symptoms of the flu tend to affect your entire body, whereas allergy symptoms are concentrated in your facial area.
When it comes to viruses rather than the flu, it can be a bit harder to tell the difference due to the large overlap of symptoms between allergies and viruses. That said, if your primary symptoms are itchy eyes, congestion, and postnasal drip, it is probably allergies. If these symptoms are accompanied by fatigue and a low-grade fever, a virus is the most probable culprit.
Why Your Allergies Are Making Your Joints And Muscles Sore
Posted by Dr. Scott Wilson | 20-May-2016
Theres no two ways about it, having allergies is no fun. When we think of allergies, most of us think about red eyes and sneezing as common symptoms but allergies can also cause pain, soreness and fatigue in our joints and muscles as well. Given the fluctuating temperatures and late start to spring in many areas this year, allergy season may be a bit delayed but make no mistake, theres no escaping allergy season. Heres what you need to know about allergies and their impact on our joints and muscles:
If youd like to learn more about allergies and possible naturopathic solutions for controlling symptoms, please dont hesitate to give us a call. Remember, at PhysiomedHealthier Starts Here.
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What To Do About Allergies
Allergy treatment typically involves using an over-the-counter corticosteroid nasal spray, such as mometasone furoate or fluticasone propionate .
The sprays help shut off the flow of inflammatory chemicals that trigger allergy symptoms. Symptoms should start to improve with a week of daily use, but it may take three weeks before the sprays show full benefit.
Another common type of allergy medication is an antihistamine. It counteracts the effects of histamine, a body chemical involved in allergic reactions. But some antihistamines such as diphenhydramine can cause drowsiness and increase the risk of falls. Dr. Sedaghat says the safest antihistamine options for older adults are prescription antihistamine sprays, such as azelastine and olopatadine . These may help prevent symptoms while minimizing drowsiness.
To prevent watery eyes, Dr. Sedaghat recommends antihistamine eyedrops, such as ketotifen , available over the counter, and olopatadine , available by prescription.
Depression Mood Disorders Or Psychiatric Symptoms
A German study recently found that people with doctor-diagnosed allergies had higher rates of psychiatric symptoms. Galland notes that teenagers with asthma are about three times more likely than those without an allergy to be diagnosed with depression or a bipolar disorder later in life.
Watch for more information on allergies and sensitivites in Taking on the Allergy Epidemic in the April 2017 issue of Experience Life.
Thoughts to share?
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Ask For Allergy Shots
If antihistamines, nasal spray and staying inside arent controlling your symptoms, theres a more extreme measure you can take: getting allergy shots.
Like vaccines that protect you against viruses, there are shots that can prevent your body from reacting to pollen exposure. They treat the underlying problem rather than just the symptoms.
Unlike regular vaccines, however, you cant just get one allergy shot and call it good.
You have to come in regularly for shots for three to five years, its labor intensive and there are potential risks, Ayars explains.
Those risks range from mild things like redness at the injection site, to hives, to rare but serious things like anaphylactic shock.
Still, if youre someone who used to have mild sniffles during spring pollen season and now cant get through the day without antihistamines, it might be worth talking with your doctor about other treatments including allergy shots.
