Can Seasonal Allergies Cause Fever

Seasonal Allergies & Digestive Symptoms

Among some of the lesser-known symptoms of seasonal allergies are stomach upset, constipation, diarrhea, GERD, acid reflux, nausea, and stomach cramping.

These digestive symptoms can come with little or no upper respiratory symptoms which is why it can be difficult for these symptoms to be traced back to their source.

How Hay Fever Affects Your Voice

Hay fever is a common allergy around 30% of the population suffer with it. Suffering from hay fever is like having a chronic cold it causes sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, and a stuffy/runny nose. But most worryingly for singers, hay fever can also cause voice loss.

Hay fever causes congestion in your airways and this leads to postnasal drip . This irritates the vocal cords, which may already be inflamed from any pollen youve breathed in.

If your vocal cords become swollen or irritated, it can cause your voice to crack, thin, and eventually disappear.

Spring Is Here 5 Things Allergy Sufferers Need To Know

Due to global climate changes, allergists warn that spring allergy season continues to worsen each year. Dr. Jigisha Morosky, an allergist/immunologist with Starling Physicians, addresses the most common questions about seasonal allergies.

How do you know if it is a cold, allergy or COVID?

Sometimes it is difficult for people to determine if sniffles, sneezes, sore throat and coughs are caused by allergies, a cold or even sinusitis. Dr. Morosky explains that nasal allergy symptoms and common cold symptoms are essentially identical. Variables we examine are exposure to an allergen, like pollen or a pet, the duration of symptoms months versus 1 to 2 weeks, and if there is improvement while taking allergy medications.

Spring allergies can cause itchy water eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, sneezing, coughing and even hives. The symptoms of a cold are often characterized by runny nose, sore throat and cough. Patients with severe seasonal allergies can feel very fatigued and have low grade fever making the distinction even harder.

Acute sinusitis is characterized by a stuffy or runny nose accompanied by pain in the forehead and/or over the cheeks. Often both the common cold and allergies can cause swelling of the nasal passages, which prevent the sinuses from draining, then this can lead to sinusitis. Sinusitis can be treated with antibiotics, however it often recurs if due to uncontrolled allergies.

What are best over the counter methods to treat allergies?

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How Long Does Hay Fever Last

Seasonal allergies in the U.S. begin in the spring with the flowering of trees, then grass and weeds in the early summer, and generally end in the fall with ragweed season.

Each allergen generally lasts 2 to 3 months, peaking for about 2 to 3 weekswhen symptoms are at their worst. The timing depends on both the allergen and where you live.

For example, pine pollen is released from April to July, with a peak generally in late May. Elm pollen is released from February to April, with a peak in March.

Some people may be allergic to only one type of pollen, while others are allergic to several allergens.

Some people have allergy symptoms to dust mites and mold spores. These are indoor allergies and are not seasonal. Usually, symptoms are worse during the cold months when people spend more time indoors.

Pro Tip

Each persons allergy symptoms are different. This is for many reasons, but the biggest is that not everyone is allergic to the same types of pollen and everyones immune response is a little different. In addition, geographic location plays a large role in allergic responses. Dr. Lee

Seasonal Allergy Symptoms Versus A Cold

Part of identifying your triggers and getting yourself treatment is being cognizant of allergy symptoms. Pollen’s hay fever can be tricky to identify due to its cold-like symptoms of congestion, cough, sneezing, watery or itchy eyes, runny nose, itchy eyes, sinus pressure and post-nasal drip, and fatigue . Other symptoms are possible, including wheezing or shortness of breath. These are also signs of asthma, which can be triggered by allergies .

But how can you tell if you’re suffering from a head cold or seasonal allergies? First off, hay fever isn’t caused by a virus like a cold is, and even though it has “fever” in the name, you shouldn’t run a fever. In contrast, a common cold may come with a low-grade fever, as well as aches . The timing is also a clue. A cold begins within a few days of virus exposure and lasts anywhere from three to seven days, whereas hay fever will come on quickly and last for the duration of allergy season or allergen exposure.

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Care Advice For Nose Allergies Or Hay Fever

Allergy Diagnosis And Treatments

Diagnosis

It is generally quite simply for a health care professional to deduct whether an individual is suffering from allergies. Allergies are often easy to identify as they usually appear around the same time of year. Diagnosis will general involve the asking of questions about your symptoms, such as when they appeared and how quickly, as well as a physical exam. If a diagnosis is not reached after these examinations, then you will likely be referred to an allergist, who will administer a blood or skin test. A skin test is generally performed as follows:

Even if the skin and or blood test yields a positive result, an individual must also show symptoms of having an allergy to be diagnosed with one. This means that if a child, for example, tested positive for being allergic to grass pollen, but shows no signs or symptoms when amongst grass, then they cannot be definitely diagnosed with the allergy.

Treatment

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Histamine & Liver Congestion

Often, excess histamine and underlying infection combine to make allergy symptoms particularly severe.

Ideally, your liver would remove any excess histamine caused by seasonal allergies but when it is congested from the strain of an underlying infection, it gets ‘behind’ at clearing away this excess histamine.

This is why you may have had mild allergies before but now the symptoms are unbearable.

There is a certain threshold, a certain amount of toxin or infection that your body can comfortably handle but once it passes that point your body falls behind and your symptoms drastically change.

This could mean that your symptoms get more severe, you have them more often, you have different triggers or they are a different set of symptoms entirely.

When To See A Doctor For Fever

A fever is what happens when the body is fighting off the germs of an infection or illness and while, yes, it can be scary , its not always cause for a trip to the doctor. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics , children should be seen by their pediatrician if theyre younger than 12 weeks and have a rectal temperature of 100.4 F or higher, or have a temperature of 104 F if theyre older.

Additional reasons to call the doctor when a fever is present, according to the AAP:

• The fever is present for more than 24 hours in a child younger than 2.

• The fever is present for more than 3 days in a child 2 or older.

• A child appears very ill, drowsy or is unusually fussy.

• A child has been in a very hot place, like an overheated car.

• A stiff neck, severe headache, severe sore throat, severe ear pain, rash or continuous vomiting or diarrhea is also present.

• The child has had a seizure.

• The child appears to be getting worse instead of better.

• There are signs of dehydration present, such as dry mouth and fewer wet diapers.

• The child already has immune system problems or is taking a steroid.

And of course, nobody knows your child better than you. If something isnt sitting well with you, feel free to give their doctor a call.

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Do Allergies Cause A Fever

Seasonal allergies should not cause a fever, as a high temperature often signals your body is fighting a bacterial or viral infection, says Jessica Hui, M.D., allergy and immunology physician at National Jewish Health in Denver. Many of us have heard someone sneeze and then say, Its just my allergies when theyre actually sick with the common cold.

Symptoms of the common cold, flu, or COVID-19 are often confused with seasonal allergies, as theres a lot of overlap with symptoms. But if there is an associated feverwhen your temperature hits 100.4 degrees or moreits important to think beyond allergies, because it may be an illness that is contagious and warrants a sick day, explains Dr. Hui.

Stay Away From Triggers

You can ease your allergy symptoms by avoiding or reducing your exposure to triggers. For seasonal allergies, you should:

• Stay indoors as much as possible during peak pollen counts and windy days. Ragweed is highest in the morning. Tree and grass pollens peak in the early evening.
• Close windows and use your air conditioner.
• Wear glasses or sunglasses to keep pollen out of your eyes.
• Wear a mask when you work outdoors.

For perennial allergies to indoor animals and pests:

• Use dust mite-proof covers for pillows and mattresses.
• Wash your sheets and blankets often in hot water.
• Keep humidity levels down in your home with dehumidifiers and air conditioning.
• Wash your hands after you touch animals.
• Keep your pet out of your bedroom while you sleep
• Replace carpets with hardwood, tile, or linoleum flooring

Saline rinses: They can ease nasal congestion and wash allergens and extra mucus out of your nose. You can use a premixed solution in a squeeze bottle or a neti pot. Use distilled, sterile, or boiled water if you decide make the saline mixture yourself. Use purified water to rinse and sterilize the bottle or neti pot after each use. Let them air dry.

The bottom line? Although thereâs no cure for hay fever, if you work with your doctor, stick to your therapy plan, and avoid the triggers for your seasonal and perennial allergies, you can manage your symptoms before they manage you.

Show Sources

National Health Service Choices: âHay fever.â

Mayo Clinic: âHay Fever.â

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Can Allergies Cause Fatigue & A Low Grade Fever

Whether it is spring or fall, if you suffer from allergies, you run the risk of becoming sick. For some sufferers, allergies cause nasal congestion, headache and cough 1. For others, if their bodies react strongly enough, their symptoms may include a low-grade fever and fatigue. It is important to know how to treat your symptoms so you begin feeling healthy again.

If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.

Can Allergies Cause Headaches

There are occasions where allergies or sinus problems can lead to a person to have headaches. Headaches with rhinitis are common and may be due to sinus disease in and around the nasal passages. A sinus headache is hard to identify since headache specialists consider true sinus headache to be fairly rare.

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Does Benadryl Help With Seasonal Allergies

Benadryl® is a first-generation antihistamine. Antihistamines do exactly what they describe they block histamine. Histamine is the chemical released as an allergic response that causes allergy symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, hives and red, itchy, watery eyes.

However, first-generation antihistamines tend to make you drowsy. Do not take them when you must do any activities that require you to be alert. Also, recent research suggests theres a link between long-term use of Benadryl and memory loss. So be sure to talk with your doctor before using Benadryl.

While Benadryl may work for your allergy symptoms, there are other option with fewer side effects.

Diagnosis In Case Person Catches A Fever Out Of Allergies :

To determine the reason for a fever, individuals sometimes need to see a doctor. A doctor will do a medical examination and obtain medical records to identify an underlying reason.

Diagnostic checks, including blood testing, urine tests, throat swabs, mucus samples, and X-rays, may be ordered. People may need to consult an allergist to detect an allergy.

An allergist will obtain a complete medical history and perform testing. Skin testing can reveal any allergies to common allergens such as pollen, different meals, latex, or medicines.

If patients have quite a skin disease or are using a treatment that might interfere with skin test findings, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, allergists may also do blood and urine tests.

An allergist can identify an allergy based on a patients history, physical assessment, and test findings. Theyll be able to devise the best treatment and care strategy from there.

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What Is The Right Time To Contact The Doctor

When someone is confused about the source of their concerns, they should consult a healthcare provider. They should also see a doctor if their flu symptoms linger longer than 10 days or do not improve with over-the-counter medicines.

Trembling, shivering, or teeth biting, especially high heat with little perspiration in the body, increasing symptoms, illusions, disorientation, or sleepiness, skin rash, muscular spasms, elevated heart rate, and vomiting should all be discussed with a doctor.

To be more precise, if an adult or kid has a temperature higher than 40°C, they should surely see a doctor.

When To See Your Doctor About Allergies

Whether you are in denial about your seasonal allergies or one of those people that likes to “tough it out,” there may come a point in time when you finally decide to see a doctor for treatment. “I think the problem is that some people have a couple of weeks when they are miserable, and then the rest of the year they are fine, so they think they’ll just grin and bear it,” pediatric allergist Dr. Stephanie Leeds told Yale Medicine. “But there is a better way. You can take steps to minimize those weeks of misery.”

Some tell-tale signs that you need an allergist are if you suffer from symptoms for several months, experience chronic sinus infections or congestion, have asthma flare-ups or are short of breath frequently, and your day-to-day life is greatly affected .

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Fever With Allergy Symptoms

When you develop congestion, regardless of the cause, the buildup of mucus in your sinuses can be a breeding ground for bacteria. When an infection takes hold, you can be hit with a fever that can last for several days.

Congestion can be the result of sinusitis, allergies, or something more serious, such as the flu virus. Its sometimes hard to know whats causing your symptoms, because a cold or flu can mimic many of the signs of an allergy.

Discovering exactly whats causing your symptoms, even if theyre mild, is important. Once you know the cause of your symptoms, you can start an effective treatment plan. And, in the case of an allergy, you can take steps to prevent symptoms or flare-ups in the future.

The key, however, is a proper diagnosis.

Hay Fever Management And Treatment

Avoid triggers by making changes to your home and to your behavior.

• Keep windows closed during high pollen periods use air conditioning in your home and car.
• Wear glasses or sunglasses when outdoors to keep pollen out of your eyes.
• Use mite-proof bedding covers to limit exposure to dust mites and a dehumidifier to control mold. .
• Wash your hands after petting any animal, and have a nonallergic person help with pet grooming, preferably in a well-ventilated area or outside.

What people dont realize is most of the over-the-counter medicines are designed for milder allergies. For the people who have more moderate to severe allergy problems, its very rare that over the counter medicines are enough.

Allergist James Sublett, MD

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When Do People Usually Get Hay Fever

You can have hay fever any time of the year. Seasonal allergies occur in the spring, summer and early fall when trees and weeds bloom and pollen counts are higher. Perennial allergies can happen year-round. They result from irritants that are always around, such as pet dander, cockroaches and dust mites.