Can Allergies Make You Feel Like Your Throat Is Closing

Feeling Like My Throat Is Closing Up

rachel18350

Hey all I haven’t been on this forum for ages because I’ve been doing brilliant! But today not so good, all day my neck and head is killing me my glands feel like there swollen I feel like my throats closing up feels like there’s mucous stuck in it! Finding it hard to breathe! Like have my periods as well so maybe it’s just a bad anxiety day I don’t know.. Ugh so annoying been doing so well the past 3 months and today I just feel like I’m back to where I was 9 months ago?? Any advice?

2 likes, 17 replies

Your Eyes Are Red & Itchy

Watery eyes are a common symptom of pet allergies, as are red, dry, itchy eyes. A lot of people think this is just a result of general allergies from being outside and being exposed to pollen, but that itchy feeling in your eyes can also happen after you’re around your cat, especially if you pet them or hold them and then touch your eyes.

âWe see a lot of people getting a stuffy nose or red, itchy, watery eyes. And for some people, that can happen from a distance, so if even there’s just a cat in the room, these symptoms can still happen,â says Price. In particular, itâs the cat dander that sets this particular type of allergic reaction off. These are â and brace yourself, because this can sound a little gross â âmicroscopic pieces of dry cat skin that become airborne, landing on bedding, curtains, carpeting, and other surfaces, including humans’ skin and clothing,â per The Spruce Pets. So, not an easy one to avoid.

Questions To Ask Your Doctor

• Could anything else, such as a cold or the flu, be causing my symptoms?
• How do I figure out what Im allergic to?
• Is my allergy seasonal?
• I am allergic to _____. Am I at risk for any other allergies?
• What changes can I make at home to relieve my symptoms?
• Will any over-the counter medicines relieve my symptoms?
• What should I do if my symptoms get worse or dont respond to the treatment youve prescribed?
• Do I need to see an allergy specialist ?

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Should You Avoid Caffeine

Unless caffeine is causing throat tightness or irritation, you can ingest it in moderate amounts without any negative side effects. According to the Mayo Clinic, healthy adults may consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day â that’s about four cups of coffee.

Since caffeine is a natural stimulant, it has some beneficial effects, such as increased alertness, says Harvard Medical School. Furthermore, it may protect against dementia and improve athletic endurance.

Read more:14 Legit Ways Coffee Can Boost Your Health

If you ingest too much caffeine, however, you may experience side effects. Headaches, insomnia, nervousness or an upset stomach are all common.

It is best to stick to caffeinated beverages and foods rich in antioxidants, such as coffee, green tea and dark chocolate rather than energy drinks or soda , says the USDA. If you’re watching your caffeine intake, an 8-ounce cup of green tea has just 28 milligrams of caffeine versus regular coffee, which boasts 95 milligrams.

What Food Changes May Be Needed For Allergic Esophagitis

You may need to stop eating certain foods for a while to see if your symptoms improve. Start eating these foods again one at a time as directed. If certain foods cause your symptoms, do not eat them. Some common examples are dairy, nuts, eggs, and seafood. You may need to change what you eat to relieve your symptoms. You may need to see a dietitian to help you get the right amount of nutrients.

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Living With Allergic Rhinitis

Living with the symptoms of allergic rhinitis can affect your daily life. Nasal symptoms can be worse when lying down. This can disturb your ability to sleep well. Fatigue and headaches can affect your ability to function at school and work. There are many medicines and treatments that can help you manage your symptoms. Talk to your doctor as soon as you feel that your symptoms are getting worse or are not easy to control. He or she can help you come up with the right plan to control them so they dont affect your ability to live your normal life.

Allergies And The Immune System

Allergy symptoms occur when your immune system overreacts to allergens in your body. Your immune system mistakenly believes that an allergen from a food, such as a peanut, is a harmful substance invading your body. The immune system releases chemicals, including histamine, to fight off the foreign invader.

When your immune system releases these chemicals, it causes your body to have an allergic reaction.

When the immune system overreacts, it can cause body parts to swell, particularly these:

• lips
• fingers
• toes

If your lips and tongue swell too much, they can block your mouth and prevent you from speaking or breathing easily.

If your throat or airways also swell, it may cause additional problems such as:

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Key Points About Rhinitis

• Rhinitis is a reaction that happens in the eyes, nose, and throat when allergens in the air trigger histamine to be released in the body.

• Some of the most common causes of rhinitis are pollen, dust mites, mold, cockroach waste, animal dander, fumes and odors, hormonal changes, and smoke.

• Symptoms of rhinitis include: sneezing, stuffy, runny, and itchy nose, and itchy throat, eyes, and ears, nosebleeds, clear drainage from the nose, ear infections that keep coming back, snoring, breathing through the mouth, and tiredness.

• Treatment for rhinitis includes: medicines, allergy shots, and surgery for some health problems

• Preventive measures for rhinitis include avoiding what you are allergic to.

Johns Hopkins Pediatric Otolaryngology

Our pediatric otolaryngologists are committed to providing compassionate and comprehensive care for children with ear, nose, and throat conditions. As part of the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, you have access to all the specialized resources of a children’s hospital. Your child will also benefit from experts who use advanced techniques to treat both common and rare conditions.

Symptoms Of Allergic Rhinitis

Your symptoms can vary, depending on the severity of your allergies. Symptoms can include:

• Sneezing.
• Itching .
• Runny nose.
• Pressure in the nose and cheeks.
• Ear fullness and popping.
• Watery, red, or swollen eyes.
• Dark circles under your eyes.
• Trouble smelling.
• Hives.

Allergic rhinitis can last several weeks, longer than a cold or the flu. It does not cause fever. The nasal discharge from hay fever is thin, watery, and clear. Nasal discharge from a cold or the flu tends to be thicker. Itching is common with hay fever but not with a cold or the flu. Sneezing occurs more with hay fever. You may even have severe sneeze attacks.

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Can Allergic Rhinitis Be Prevented Or Avoided

Allergic rhinitis cannot be prevented. You can help your symptoms by avoiding the things that cause your symptoms, including:

• Keeping windows closed. This is especially important during high-pollen seasons.
• Washing your hands after petting animals.
• Using dust- and mite-proof bedding and mattress covers.
• Wearing glasses outside to protect your eyes.
• Showering before bed to wash off allergens from hair and skin.

You can also avoid things that can make your symptoms worse, such as:

• Aerosol sprays.
• Wood smoke.

What Is Allergic Rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis is the medical term for hay fever or allergies. You have an allergy when your body overreacts to things that dont cause problems for most people. These things are called allergens. Your bodys overreaction to the allergens is what causes symptoms.

There are 2 forms of allergic rhinitis:

• Seasonal : Caused by an allergy to pollen and/or mold spores in the air. Pollen is the fine powder that comes from flowering plants. It can be carried through the air and is easily inhaled. Symptoms are seasonal and usually occur in spring, late summer, and fall.
• Perennial: Caused by other allergens such as dust mites, pet hair or dander, or mold. Symptoms occur year-round.

Hay fever is the most common form of allergy. Symptoms of hay fever are seasonal. You will feel worse when the pollens that affect you are at their highest levels.

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How Is Anaphylaxis Treated

Someone with anaphylaxis needs help right away. The reaction can get worse very quickly. So doctors usually want people with allergies to carry injectable medicine called epinephrine. Epinephrine enters the bloodstream and works quickly against serious allergy symptoms.

Doctors prescribe auto injectors. These should always be with the person with allergies, including at school, sports, jobs, and other activities. The auto injector is small and easy to use.

If you’re prescribed epinephrine, the doctor will show you how to use it. Always have two auto injectors with you in case one doesn’t work or you need a second dose.

Your doctor also might instruct you to take antihistamines in some cases. But always treat a serious reaction with epinephrine. Never use antihistamines instead of epinephrine in serious reactions.

What Triggers Allergy Night

There are multiple potential triggers for night-time allergy symptoms. Indoor allergens including dust mites, pet dander, and pollen are a few examples. Dust mites could live in your bedroom. Pet dander, which is skin and not fur, can stick to your clothing or bedding and cause allergy symptoms that way.

The same goes for pollen. It can exist indoors, and if you spend time outside and dont immediately wash your hands and change your clothes and shoes, you could bring even more pollen inside your bedroom.

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Flu And Throat Tightness

Throat tightness also could be the result of the flu, says Hana Hakim, MD, an associate faculty member in infectious diseases at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

“Influenza, or the flu, may present with sore throat, in addition to other symptoms, including fever, cough, runny nose, headache, muscle ache and fatigue,” she says.

But Dr. Hakim adds that “if the presence of a tight throat is the only symptom, in the absence of other symptoms, it’s less likely to be caused by the flu.” In that case, “it is important to evaluate for other possible causes,” she advises.

You Have An Asthma Attack

Most of the time, pet allergies are just annoying. Sometimes, though, they can get more serious. The AAFA says that being around a cat can trigger a severe asthma attack in up to three in 10 people with asthma. So, if you have asthma, and you have an asthma attack, it could be because of the cats. However, Randall says âunless there’s some kind of deathly allergic reaction happening, I definitely don’t suggest, giving up the cat.â

Also important: cat allergies, when left untreated, can actually lead to chronic asthma. That’s why you need to go to a doctor. However, if you live with asthma and just want to find a way to manage it, Asthma UK recommends taking steps like allowing pets to spend time outside, and keeping them out of parts of the house that have carpets.

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Can Seasonal Allergies Cause A Feeling Of Throat Tightness

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When To Use Epinephrine

If your doctor prescribes an epinephrine auto injector, carry it with you at all times. With anaphylaxis, seconds count. Epinephrine can be a lifesaver.

If you start to have difficulty breathing, tightness in your throat, feel faint, or if you have allergic symptoms in more than one of the body systems mentioned earlier, give yourself epinephrine right away. Dont try to use your inhaler and wait to see what happens. Go straight for the epinephrine injector! Thats especially true if you have food allergies and also have asthma.

After using an epinephrine auto injector, go to a hospital emergency room immediately. Sometimes a person has a second wave of symptoms . The hospital will observe you for at least 4 hours to be sure you are OK and give you additional treatment, if needed.

Serious allergies can sound scary, but they are treatable. So if you have an auto injector, carry it with you always. That tiny pinprick can mean the difference between life and death!

Reviewed by: Sheelagh M. Stewart, RN, MPHDate reviewed: February 2012

Note: All information on KidsHealth is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.

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Sudden Allergies To Fruits You Were Fine With Before

Certain fruitslike bananas and melonscontain compounds that are very similar to the pollens in trees or ragweed. So when you eat them, you may get the kind of reaction you get when you spend time in nature, says Hurwitz.

In fact, when youre in allergy season and you have symptoms, even non-allergens can be irritating, too, says Dr. Blair. Perfumes, paint fumes, and even pollution can be harder to withstand when youre already inflamed with allergies.

Types Of Food Allergies

Food allergies are divided into 3 types, depending on symptoms and when they occur.

• IgE-mediated food allergy the most common type, triggered by the immune system producing an antibody called immunoglobulin E . Symptoms occur a few seconds or minutes after eating. There’s a greater risk of anaphylaxis with this type of allergy.
• non-IgE-mediated food allergy these allergic reactions aren’t caused by immunoglobulin E, but by other cells in the immune system. This type of allergy is often difficult to diagnose as symptoms take much longer to develop .
• mixed IgE and non-IgE-mediated food allergies some people may experience symptoms from both types.

Read more information about the symptoms of a food allergy.

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Allergies And Sleep Apnea

When you have to wrestle with your allergies each night at bedtime, you may fitfully toss and turn and then wake up exhausted. It feels like you slept for maybe an hour or two. As you drag on with your day, bleary-eyed and dead tired, its easy to assume youre so exhausted because your stuffy nose, eye itchiness, and coughing kept you awake.

While that could be true, you could also be dealing with sleep apnea without even knowing it. Obstructive sleep apnea is a form of sleep apnea associated with allergies. The nasal symptoms of your allergies make you snore when you might regularly dont. The sound of your snoring, while very distracting to a partner, can even bother you, causing you to wake up again and again throughout the night.

The upper airway is obstructed with this sleep apnea, either somewhat or all the way. Since your airway cannot open, the lungs dont get as much air unless your chest muscles and diaphragm strain.

You can have obstructive sleep apnea and not even know it because youre barely aware of whats causing you to keep waking all night. Here are the other symptoms:

• Constant exhaustion that makes it hard to get out of bed
• A choking or gasping feeling that wakes you up, even several times a night
• Snoring
• Mood changes, depression, feeling forgetful, and difficulty with concentrating on tasks
• Morning headaches
• Sore throat and/or dry mouth in the morning

What Are The Treatments For Allergic Rhinitis

The first and best option is to avoid contact with substances that trigger your nasal allergies . When prevention is not enough, consider using over-the-counter or prescription medicines:

• Antihistamines are taken by mouth or as a nasal spray. They can relieve sneezing and itching in the nose and eyes. They also reduce a runny nose and, to a lesser extent, nasal stuffiness.
• are taken by mouth or as a nasal spray or drops. They help shrink the lining of the nasal passages which relieves nasal stuffiness. These nose drops and sprays should be taken short-term.
• Nasal corticosteroids are used in nasal spray form. They reduce inflammation in the nose and block allergic reactions. They are the most effective medicine type for allergic rhinitis because they can reduce all symptoms, including nasal congestion. Nasal corticosteroids have few side effects.
• Leukotriene receptor antagonists block the action of important chemical messengers other than histamine that are involved in allergic reactions.
• Cromolyn sodium is a nasal spray that blocks the release of chemicals that cause allergy symptoms, including histamine and leukotrienes. This medicine has few side effects, but you must take it four times a day.

Nasal allergy symptoms may disappear completely when the allergen is removed or after the allergy is treated. Talk to your pharmacist and health care provider about what is best for you.

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How Is Allergic Rhinitis Diagnosed

If your symptoms interfere with your daily life, see your family doctor. Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and medical history and perform a physical exam. Keeping a record of your symptoms over a period of time can help your doctor determine what triggers your allergies.

Your doctor may want to do an allergy skin test to determine what you are allergic to. During an allergy skin test, tiny amounts of allergens are applied to your skin. You will feel tiny pricks to your skin. It is not painful. Your doctor will observe and record the way your skin reacts to each allergen.

Your doctor may also decide to do a blood test, such as the radioallergosorbent test . This test identifies antibodies in your blood that determine what youre allergic to. Once your allergens are identified, you and your doctor can decide the best treatment.