Can My Allergies Make Me Tired

Food Allergies Food Intolerance And Fatigue

Symptoms: Fatigue, sleepiness, continued exhaustion

Although food is supposed to give you energy, medical research suggests that hidden food intolerances — or allergies — can do the opposite. In fact, fatigue may be an early warning sign of food intolerance or food allergy. Celiac disease, which happens when you cant digest gluten, may also cause fatigue.

Ask your doctor about the elimination diet. This is a diet in which you cut out certain foods linked to a variety of symptoms, including sleepiness within 10 to 30 minutes of eating them, for a certain period of time to see if that makes a difference. You can also talk to your doctor about a food allergy test — or invest in a home test such as ALCAT — which may help you identify the offending foods.

Consider Keeping Pets Out Of The Bedroom

Having pets on the bed can be an issue even if this isnt your primary allergy, since pets can have dust, pollen or other allergens clinging to their fur when they enter the room. Those with a pet dander allergy should strongly consider keeping pets off of the bed or out of the bedroom to make sleeping easier without allergy symptoms.

Why Do Seasonal Allergies Make Us Tired

Seasonal allergies can do more than just cause a runny nose or coughwhen left untreated, they can lead to drowsiness and poor concentration, too.

Allergy fatigue is the result of your body working hard to fight off a foreign invader. Its similar to the way your body fights a virus like the common cold or the flu, which can also leave you feeling drained.

When you have an allergic response to something like dust, pollen, or pet dander, your body also releases proteins , which can cause inflammation in your nose. Chronic inflammation has been linked to fatigue and depression.;

Allergies can also indirectly cause you to feel tired during the day by disrupting your sleep at night. Common allergy symptoms like coughing, sneezing, and congestion can make it hard to get a good nights rest, making it hard to stay focused the next day.

Treating seasonal allergy tiredness isnt always simple, either. Common medications like Benadryl often cause drowsiness as a side effect. Fortunately, there are ways to manage fatigue and stay alert during allergy season.

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Are You Struggling With Allergy

Dr. Chacko and his team can help you identify what allergens are keeping you awake at night and come up with an allergy treatment plan that is right for you. Schedule an appointment at one of the Chacko Allergy, Asthma and Sinus Center clinic locations in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Canton, Cumming, Duluth and Johns Creek. Call us at .

Take A Shower Before Bed

Taking a shower before bed can help wash pollen or other allergens out of your hair or off your skin, ensuring that you are not bringing allergens into bed with you. Taking a shower or bath before bed may even improve your ability to get a good nightâs sleep by lowering your body temperature, which can help you fall asleep and stay asleep. This should help you feel more rested when you wake up the next morning.

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Find Out What Youre Allergic To

In order to treat your allergies, you have to know what youre up against.

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. These tests are typically done in a single sitting, and youll get results right away.

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.

You Suffer From Muscle And/or Joint Pain After Eating Meals

This could be brief, intermittent pain, or a more sustained inflammatory response.

Solution:Do a food allergy/sensitivity test and stool analysis to look for increased intestinal permeability , do an elimination diet and get tested for nutritional deficiencies, including zinc. A trial off of nightshades may also be effective in a small proportion of individuals.Food is medicine, but eating the wrong types of foods along with nutritional deficiencies can make you sick.

If you’re still unsure, it never hurts to see your health care provider and get tested for food allergies. The test may be what you need to finally receive answers for unexplained symptoms and chronic health problems.

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Take Your Allergy Medication In The Evening

Antihistamines are a common and effective way to manage seasonal allergies, and modern allergy medicines are less likely to cause drowsiness than older antihistamines. However, some people may still feel tired after taking an allergy pill, especially if they havent taken one in a while.;

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 antihistaminesthe longer you take a daily allergy medication, the more easily your body will be able to tolerate those side effects.

Not all antihistamines are intended for daily use, so talk with your doctor before starting or changing any allergy medications to make sure its a good fit for you.

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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Dont Know How To Fix Your Allergy Fatigue Balloon Sinuplasty At Kaplan Sinus Relief Could Help

Can allergies cause fatigue? Yes. But does knowing that help you fix your allergy fatigue? Not really. And if your allergies havent responded to traditional treatments and are making you tired all the time, then a more strategic approach might be necessary.;

At Kaplan Sinus Relief, we help you breathe freely again with procedures like ClariFix for chronic rhinitis and allergies and balloon sinuplasty.;;

Balloon sinuplasty, a non-invasive, in-office procedure that has provided patients with long-lasting results, and has become an increasingly attractive option for those suffering from allergy-related fatigue. During the procedure, your ENT uses a tiny to balloon to widen the nasal passageways, restore normal drainage, and help you breathe at night.;

The best part? The procedure takes less than 20 minutes and most patients are back at work between 24 and 48 hours.

Kaplan Sinus Relief has been a pioneer for the balloon sinuplasty procedure. Our staff is here to answer any of your sinus questions and help you find relief. So, curious whether traditional sinus surgery helps allergies? Wondering if youre a good balloon sinuplasty candidate?;

Request an appointment or call Kaplan Sinus Relief at 713-766-1818 today.;

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Allergies Affect People Day And Night

Chances are high that individuals with allergies know they have them. Theyll spend their days sneezing, coughing, and feeling congested. Typically, people realize how allergies affect themselves during the day. Not all sufferers recognize that allergies can worsen the quality of their sleep. The immune system targets allergens, and this frequent immune response disrupts the body in various ways.

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What Is An Allergy Test

An allergist performs tests to pinpoint the cause of your allergic reactions.

There are two kinds of tests:

• Skin tests: The doctor pricks the surface of the skin, usually on the upper arm, and injects a tiny amount of suspected allergens. If an allergy exists, the skin will react by becoming inflamed, red and swollen, which may cause temporary discomfort. Skin tests give fast resultsusually within a half hour or 24 to 48 hours.
• Blood tests: Blood is drawn and sent to a lab. The disadvantage is that it may take several days for the results to come back. However, more allergens can be tested with blood tests than with skin tests, Blood tests are used to identify seasonal allergies as well as perennial allergies, plus allergies to food, medications, and insect bites or stings. If you have chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema, blood tests are recommended instead of skin tests to prevent further irritation.

Its important to tell your allergist about any medications you are taking because some can compromise your allergy test results.

Feeling Too Tired To Work

If your allergies make you feel exhausted at work, the reason why may be more than just a bad nightâs sleep.

âBlame your overactive immune system,â says Greg Martin, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of pulmonary, allergy and critical care at Emory University in Atlanta. Persistent, ongoing activation of the immune system triggers chronic inflammation, and this causes fatigue, Martin tells WebMD. Hereâs how it works:

• Allergies are characterized by inflammation
• Inflammation produces substances called cytokines
• Cytokines move from our nose through the bloodstream and into our brain, causing allergy symptoms that tell us we are sick

In fact, Marshall says that fatigue is a key symptom of allergies. When allergies are poorly treated, you also get symptoms such as nasal congestion and snoring that can ruin sleep, he says.

Allergy medicines can also contribute to fatigue. Some of the older antihistamines — such as Benadryl or Dimetapp — induce sleep in most people. Even that are stimulants, such as pseudoephedrine , can change peopleâs sleep patterns. If you take them together, it may be easy to fall asleep but the sleep may not be as refreshing, so you can feel really tired even if you slept eight hours or more.

Newer antihistamines such as Allegra, Claritin, or Zyrtec are less likely to cause drowsiness.

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Do Antihistamines Make You Sleepy

It depends on the type. Allergy symptoms are caused by your bodys defense system, called the immune system. If you have allergies, your immune system identifies otherwise harmless substances like mold spores or tree pollen as foreign invaders, and launches an attack against them. One of the main chemicals released is histamine. It causes allergic rhinitis and itchy, watery eyes. To treat your seasonal allergy symptoms, you may opt for over the counter medication found in the allergy section of your pharmacy. These are OTC antihistamines and are effective for some seasonal allergy sufferers because they block the effects of histamine.

There are two types of OTC antihistamines. Older antihistamines, called first-generation antihistamines cause drowsiness along with dry eyes and constipation. Common brand names are Benadryl and Chlor Trimeton. Both the FDA and ACAAI suggest avoiding these antihistamines.

The best bet is to ask your doctor to recommend an OTC allergy medication or to choose a newer non-sedating OTC antihistamine. Non-sedating means it wont make you sleepy. There are several OTC non-drowsy antihistamine brands, such as Zyrtec, Claritin, and Allegra. Look for non-sedating on the label or ask your pharmacist.

Can Pollen Allergies Make You Tired

Do you have hay fever? About 10-30 percent of the worldwide population experiences seasonal allergies, also called hay fever . This usually begins in the spring when trees begin to flower and give off pollen. Pollen is a fine powder that’s produced by male conifers and flowering plants. Also called flower sperm, pollen carries the plants’ male gametes of seed plants to the pistils of the same plant or of other plants of the same species. This enables plants to be fertilized and to produce seeds. Pollen is transported by the wind or by insects such as bees. But pollen also causes an allergic reaction in many people who breathe it in the air.

So how can pollen make you tired? The body’s immune system releases a substance called histamine to fight allergies, which can cause inflammation in the nose. This inflammation can lead to nasal congestion, sneezing and a runny nose. All of these symptoms make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. A study found that the more severe a patient’s hay fever was, the more likely he or she was to have problems with sleep . Lack of sleep often leads to feelings of fatigue and difficulty concentrating at school or at work. Many seasonal allergy patients also suffer from irritability and depression. Researchers are not yet sure whether these mood changes are additional allergy symptoms or if they are caused by a lack of sleep.

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Will Allergies Make You Tired

Yes, allergies can make you feel tired. Aside from the typical allergy symptoms like runny nose, other symptoms like fatigue, difficulty breathing and sinus pain can also be due to allergies.

1. Immune System Reactions ;

Many individuals are not aware that symptoms like tiredness, irritability, and moodiness may be due to seasonal allergies. How could that happen? Experts explain that allergies can cause immune system reactions that affect your energy levels, including your moods. It can make you feel too tired to get out of bed and make you feel irritable.

Allergens that trigger your immune system reactions cause the release of chemicals called histamines. These substances can slow down your brain function and make you feel moody and depressed. They can also cause sleep disturbance, resulting in excessive daytime fatigue. Sleep is often disturbed when people experience nasal stuffiness and difficulty breathing, which are also common symptoms of allergies. Thus, seasonal allergies have been linked to chronic fatigue syndrome.

2. Allergy Medications Also Matter

Can allergies make you tired? Yes and the culprits are not limited to allergy itself. The medications you are taking to relieve your symptoms may also be contributing to your extreme tiredness. Many over-the-counter anti-allergy medications contain anti-histamines like diphenhydramine hydrochloride, which have sedating properties. This ingredient can be found in many cold medications.

Why Cant I Just Catch Up On Sleep At Night

Its not that you cant sleep, its that allergies can cause both insomnia and very fragmented sleep, explains Dr. Kansagra, who serves as the director of Dukes Pediatric Neurology Sleep Medicine Program.

The inability to fall asleep, or period waking, is due mainly to irritation and discomfort.

Allergies may cause mucous buildup, and swelling and inflammation in the airway that can lead to sleep apnea, which is intermittent blockages in your airway while you sleep, said Dr. Kansagra. This leads to low quality of sleep.

Remember, when allergies are triggered, your body is waging war against the allergens.

A meta-analysis in the Public Library of Science looked at;the association between allergic rhinitis and sleep.

Researchers found that those with allergies reported higher incidents of nocturnal dysfunctions, including insomnia, restless sleep, sleep-disordered breathing, and snoring.

The same research also found the nighttime issues led to daytime dysfunction, including difficulty waking up, daytime sleepiness, morning headache, and the use of sleep medications.

Even if you cant remember waking up from your allergy symptoms during the night, you probably did, says Dr. Haden.

Even getting the recommended eight hours of sleep doesnt mean that those were eight quality hours of deep sleep, he adds.

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Stress And Work Allergies

Many patients complain of increased allergies when thereâs high stress at work, says Gailen Marshall, MD, PhD, director of the division of clinical immunology and allergy at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

People often think the allergy trigger is a work-related exposure. But Marshall tells WebMD that stress from work deadlines, conflicts with co-workers, and long hours can all increase allergy symptoms.

Underactive Thyroid And Fatigue

Symptoms: Extreme fatigue, sluggishness, feeling run-down, depression, cold intolerance, weight gain

The problem may be a slow or underactive thyroid. This is known as hypothyroidism. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland that sits at the base of your neck. It helps set the rate of metabolism, which is the rate at which the body uses energy.

According to the American Thyroid Foundation, about 17% of all women will have a thyroid disorder by age 60. And most won’t know it. The most common cause is an autoimmune disorder known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Hashimoto’s stops the gland from making enough thyroid hormones for the body to work the way it should. The result is hypothyroidism, or a slow metabolism.

Blood tests known as T3 and T4 will detect thyroid hormones. If these hormones are low, synthetic hormones can bring you up to speed, and you should begin to feel better fairly rapidly.

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