A Side Effect From Allergy Medication
Many people reach for over-the-counter antihistamine pills to treat allergies. Dizziness may be a possible side effect, depending on the type of antihistamine that you take.
The oldest antihistamines on the market which tend to cause drowsiness as a side effect are more likely to cause other side effects, including dizziness, in some people.
If this happens, your doctor may recommend that you switch to newer antihistamines, which dont tend to cause side effects like dizziness or drowsiness. Talk to your doctor about which medication may be right for you.
Can Allergies Cause Or Contribute To Balance
by admin | Jan 1, 2014 | Uncategorized |
While the relationship between allergy and balance is complex and not completely understood, there is an increasing appreciation that untreated or poorly controlled allergies can significantly impact balance function. Some examples are illustrated below.
Many patients with allergies have difficulty clearing or popping their ears, and when this occurs, this is known as Eustachian tube dysfunction. The Eustachian tube connects the back of the nose to the middle ear, and air passes through the Eustachian tube to allow the middle ear to work well in conducting sound from the ear drum to the inner ear. As it turns out, the lining of the middle ear, Eustachian tube, sinuses, nose share many common features, and if a person has hay fever for example, the allergens will affect all those areas to varying degrees. When a patients allergies cause Eustachian tube dysfunction, the middle ears may not keep enough air to work well, and the patient may perceive a sense of unsteadiness or imbalance, that when the air is restored resolves. Often treating the hay fever will significantly reduce the perception of unsteadiness or imbalance.
If you have imbalance and allergies, the importance of an appropriate and timely evaluation cannot be understated. The health professionals at the Shea Ear Clinic have the experience, expertise and tools to help you understand and manage your imbalance and allergies, and we welcome the chance to assist you.
Why Pollen Allergy Season Causes Vertigo According To Science
Pollen is really out here trying to ruin all our lives. For some allergy sufferers, it can can cause intense and seemingly random dizzy spells.
Vertigo is a symptom some people experience alongside various illnesses. Itâs a feeling of being dizzy to the point of disconnection at worst, a person might feel completely disoriented and even nauseous.
Since weâre right in the middle of a truly terrible allergy season, it makes sense some allergy sufferers are experiencing vertigo. Because allergies affect a personâs sinuses, congestion in this area contributes to feelings of disorientation.
According to the Silverstein Institute for ear, nose, and throat treatment, allergies can irritate âthe middle ear down to the back of your throat.â This region, called the Eustachian tube, is partly responsible for keeping us balanced.
âWhen it is clogged, it cannot equalize the pressure in your ear and help your body maintain its balance and thatâs when you feel the dizziness,â SI reports.
Sinus congestion and, thus, vertigo are caused by your bodyâs response to something foreign. In this case, the alien body is pollen. When the bodyâs immune system works into overdrive to âattackâ these bodies, we experience allergy symptoms like nasal congestion, throat irritation, and more.
If youâre feeling sick or tired from allergies, just know that the worst will be over soon â hopefully.
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When Allergies Are A Problem
If your allergies are particularly severe, you are dependent on allergy medication or your symptoms are getting worse then you should see your doctor to rule out other conditions.
I specialize in chronic, complex conditions using non-pharmaceutical, scientifically backed techniques to achieve lasting health.
There are ways to address underlying chronic conditions and inflammation so that your reactions to environmental allergies are not as severe.
If you would like to speak to me to ask questions about functional medicine, allergies or how I can help you, please schedule a Free 15 Minute Consultation or call or text my office at 913-728-5291.
My clinic offers functional medicine appointments as well as manual chiropractic treatments. I do online consultations for those out-of-state or outside of the United States.
If you think that you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information. Nor should you ever delay seeking medical advice or treatment due to the information contained on this Website.
What Are Symptoms Of Dizziness
Dizziness is a blanket term that describes multiple symptoms.
A person might feel lightheaded, faint or unsteady. In some cases, they are unable to determine their location and motion in relation to their physical environment.
Vertigo is a type of dizziness that causes a person to experience a spinning sensation. There are two types of vertigo: subjective and objective . Its the result of a dysfunction in the balance system of the brain or inner ear. Vertigo may last anywhere from a few minutes to several days.
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Why Do People Miss The Connection Between Allergies And Vertigo
Vertigo is a symptom of many vestibular disorders, such as vestibular neuritis, as well as potential neurological issues. Because it feels frightening and often indicates a larger medical problem, patients may not always connect the dots between their existing allergies and their vertigo. If you have unexplained vertigo and also suffer from seasonal allergies, pursue the connection by contacting your doctor.
How Can I Treat Allergy-Related Vertigo?
The good news is that allergy-related vertigo will respond to typical allergy treatments. The first step is to identify what specific allergens are causing the reaction. Once a patient has a confirmed diagnosis, it is much easier to identify effective treatments for the symptoms caused. Over-the-counter allergy medications and nasal steroid sprays, as well as daily saline rinses, will bring some immediate relief. It may take a patient some trial and error to find the combination that works for them.
Long-term relief will come from successfully treating the allergies themselves. There are a number of options for patients, including allergy shots and sinus reconstruction surgery. Patients can also take steps to reduce their exposure to allergens, such as installing air filters in their home and sweeping more frequently.
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Is There A Link Between Your Allergies And Dizziness
Feeling dizzy can be miserable, you will want to find the root cause and fix it as quickly as possible. There are a number of conditions that can cause you to feel dizzy, and nausea often goes along with the dizziness. You might simply be dehydrated or you may have a medication that is causing the malady. One of the other possible causes can be allergies. You may not think your allergies would affect something like your center of balance, but they can.
Related Blog: Balance Problems: 5 Ways to Prevent Falls
Allergies are the immune system’s way of responding to a foreign substance. Most allergens are not harmful to your body, but they affect different people in different ways. Some people react to certain allergens while others do not. Allergy-related sinus congestion can make you dizzy or even give you a more serious form of dizziness called vertigo.
Allergy Induced Dizziness
If you think your allergies may be causing the dizziness you are experiencing, you will want to remedy the situation as quickly as possible. That means understanding the causes so you can make some adjustments in your life if need be.
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Common Reasons Behind Dizziness
The most common cause of dizziness is triggered by a rapid head movement, such as when turning over in bed, sitting up too quickly, or after a head injury. This form of dizziness or vertigo is called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo . Although dizziness caused by BPPV can begin from when you wake up and last throughout the entire day, this has little to do with a consistent feeling of dizziness while in the car.
Our patients who experience dizziness while driving often report other symptoms like anxiety. Causes behind consistent vertigo-related dizziness are more likely due to medication or diet. In some cases, a patient with a sinus infection can suffer from an inner ear problem, which would also affect their balance.
But what about patients who experience recurring dizziness while driving on a regular basis, regardless of their diet, medications, or allergies? The cause is quite possibly a visual one.
Food Allergies Can Cause Headaches
While just about any food can be a trigger for a migraine headache, the specific food that triggers a migraine is often difficult to pin down because it doesnt always cause a headache. For example, eating chocolate may trigger a migraine one day and not the next. In fact, in most cases, a so-called trigger will only cause a migraine occasionally. There is no rhyme or reason to it.
Food allergy headaches are different because every time the offending food is eaten, it causes a reaction which, in some people, manifests as a headache. However, it is rare for a true food allergy to cause a headache. In most cases, a true food allergy is severe, causing reactions such as hives or anaphylaxis .
Celiac disease, for example, is an autoimmune disease, so its not a true allergy to gluten. While the immune response triggered by gluten for those with a wheat allergy is similar to those in people with celiac disease, this response only occurs in the small intestine which damages the intestinal lining.
In fact, most food-related headaches are caused by a food intolerance which is the result of your own biochemistry. Although there has not been much research in this area, food intolerances can cause significant health problems. A variety of foods can cause a food intolerance, but the most common offenders include:
- Dairy
- Grain Cereals
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Ringing In The Ears And Dizziness
Many disorders that affect the inner ear can potentially lead to ringing in the ears and dizziness, especially Menieres disease.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo typically causes dizziness but no other symptoms.
Dizziness caused by the inner ear may feel like a whirling or spinning sensation , unsteadiness or lightheadedness and it may be constant or intermittent. It may be aggravated by certain head motions or sudden positional changes. Although nausea and vomiting may occur, people do not typically lose consciousness as a result of inner ear dizziness.
How Your Body ‘compensates’
When one part of your vestibular system is afflicted, the other parts can usually compensate for the deficit. Once the system is under too much stress, though, that compensation may fall short. For example, if you must take an ototoxic drug that destroys the balance organs of the inner ear, you can still stay quite balanced as long as your eyes are open. However, when you are asked to close your eyes, you may find it quite difficult to stay standing upright.
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Can Allergies And Sinus Make You Feel Dizzy
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See Your Doctor If You Feel Dizzy
If you begin feeling lightheaded or dizzy, you should see your doctor.
Many different things can make you dizzy, most of them unrelated to mold, including:
- Bacterial or viral ear infections
- Bacterial or viral respiratory infections
- Environment allergies
- Low blood pressure
- Heart problems
- Some medications
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo , a condition in which tiny particles of calcium in the inner ear are displaced, sending the body confusing messages about where it is in space, causing a dizzy sensation
- Menieres disease, a condition in which fluid builds up in the inner ear, causing a dizzy sensation, ringing in the ears and hearing loss
- Migraine headaches
Your doctor will do a complete history and physical, asking you about all your symptoms and checking your vital signs. Your doctor may order some tests, including blood tests and an echocardiogram. Audiologists sometimes perform tests for certain conditions that can make you dizzy, too. Your doctor may also recommend having your hearing tested.
You may be referred to one or more specialists, including an infectious disease specialist, a cardiologist, and/or an otolaryngologist . Since problems with the inner and middle ear often contribute to feeling dizzy, ENT specialists often treat vertigo. Sometimes hearing is also affected by the condition, but not always. You can read more about hearing loss related to mold. It can take a while to determine the cause of dizziness and to find a treatment that works.
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Linkbetween Vertigo & Allergies
In addition to inner ear diseases and Menieres disease, allergies can also cause episodes of vertigo.
This connection may be related to Eustachian tube dysfunction. The Eustachiantubes connect the middle ear to the inside of the nose and back of the throat.Nasal congestion and increased mucus from seasonal allergies can also affectthe nose since they are all connected via the Eustachian tube.
The primary role of the Eustachian tubes is to regulate pressure in themiddle ear. When congestion prevents them from doing this, the vestibularsystem can be impacted.
Middle ear infections cause inflammation in the ear, leading to dizzinessand vertigo. Allergies can increase your risk of ear infections.
Why Do Antihistamines Cause Dizziness
The use of antihistamines. In order to prevent itching, swelling, redness, nasal congestion, teary eyes, cough, nausea, and dizziness, antihistamines prevent histamine, a bioactive amine, from acting on one of the histamine receptors. In addition to causing smooth muscle spasm and vasodilation, histamine also affects smooth muscle and blood vessels.
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Otc Medications For Allergies And Migraine Come With Potential Risks
If the symptoms of allergies and migraine are fairly mild, they could both be treated with just over-the-counter medications, says Hamilton. I would caution people who are self-treating who think their headaches are from allergies. They may take a lot of allergy medication, and certain ones like Sudafed can potentially cause a worsening headache if you take it frequently, she says.
Pain relivers such as aspirin, acetaminophen, NSAIDS, decongestants, and combination medicines that contain caffeine, aspirin, and acetaminophen or butalbital can all contribute to medication overuse headache , according to the American Migraine Foundation.
MOH is defined as a headache occurring on 15 or more days per month in a person with a preexisting primary headache and developing as a consequence of regular overuse of acute or symptomatic headache medication, according to the International Headache Society.
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How To Treat Sinus
To treat lightheadedness, get as much rest as you can because the light feeling in your head should pass when you lie down. For dizziness, you will need to treat your sinus problems.
When treating sinus or ear problems that cause dizziness at home, never use ear candling to remove wax from the ears. These products are so dangerous that the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in 2010 against their use. The organization noted that this method poses a risk for burns and does not have any scientific evidence to support its use to remove ear wax or help ear infections.
If you have allergies that contribute to your sinus problems, take antihistamines to reduce the allergic reaction and mucus buildup in your sinuses. Next, try decongestants to reduce inflammation and congestion in your sinus passages. While decongestants can ease sinus pressure and subsequent dizziness, do not take them for an extended time without consulting with your doctor. Nasal decongestant sprays can have a rebound effect and cause worse congestion if used for several days in a row.
If you continue to feel dizziness or lightheadedness after treating your problem at home, call a doctor to see if you need a prescription or an alternative treatment to help your sinus or ear problems.
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A Symptom Of Anaphylactic Shock
Dizziness is one possible symptom that may accompany a severe allergic reaction, known as anaphylactic shock. Food allergies, medication allergies and allergic reactions to insect stings are commonly linked to anaphylactic shock, which may be life-threatening. You may experience:
- swelling in your throat or tongue
- trouble breathing
Hearing Loss And Dizziness: What Does It Mean
There are many health conditions that can affect the inner ear and cause both dizziness and hearing loss, including severe allergies, bacterial or viral infections of the inner ear, medication side effects and some circulatory conditions. If you experience sudden dizziness and hearing loss, see a doctor right away.
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What To Do About Chest Pain And Dizziness
Clearly, all of the medical conditions that include chest pain and dizziness as a symptom are difficult to self-diagnose. To a lay person, it may be hard to tell the difference between GERD, anxiety, and angina.
Dr. Lee runs specialized tests to quickly and accurately diagnose the cause of your symptoms and get you started on a treatment plan.
Often, you only need lifestyle changes like losing weight, cleaning up your diet, and quitting some unhealthy habits. But if you need more advanced care, Dr. Lee is the expert you can trust.
When To See A Doctor
If you cannot identify the cause of your dizziness, then it is important to see a doctor. Again, dizziness can have many harmless causes. However, sometimes it can indicate a serious health concern. Make a note of when your dizziness started. Also, be aware of any other symptoms that may be occurring. Your doctor can help you get the right diagnosis. If your dizziness is caused by something like allergies, then they can help with your symptoms.
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