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Does Allergies Make You Nauseous

How Sinus Infections Can Lead To Dizziness

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Sinus infections happen when your sinus passages have inflammation and congestion. These factors contribute to pressure and sinus headaches. This inflammation or blockage may also affect your ears, resulting in dizziness from pressure or an infection.

Sinus problems may also contribute to ear infections that could cause dizziness or lightheadedness. For instance, middle ear infections may result from allergies or blockage of the Eustachian tubes, which can also cause sinusitis. Middle ear infections may cause a discharge from your ears in some cases.

If your sinus issues affect your inner ears, you could experience labyrinthitis. In addition to dizziness, you may also experience nausea and vomiting from this condition.

Why Am I So Scared Of Vomiting

Emetophobia, or fear of vomiting, is surprisingly common. The phobia can begin at any age although many adults have suffered for as long as they can remember. Emetophobia may also be related to other fears, such as a fear of food, as well as conditions such as eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Allergy Dos And Don’ts: Eat Chicken Soup

When you’re sick with a cold or flu, chicken soup may make you feel better. But Novey says the secret to chicken soup is really about breathing steam. “It could just as well be tea,” he notes. So is eating soup an allergy do or don’t? “Drinking hot drinks may not go well with allergically inflamed nasal tissues or sinus tissues,” Novey points out. “That’s because allergies are based upon histamine, not a viral infection. Imagine having hives and then taking a hot shower it would only make matters worse.”

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How To Overcome Nausea Caused By A Sinus Infection

There are some simple and easy tricks to relieve nausea associated with sinus infections. These include:

1. Ginger

Ginger can help calm your stomach and ease nausea. It is also a natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. Ginger can also help with nausea caused by dizziness. You can take ginger in capsule form or boil one cup of water and steep one teaspoon in a tea bag. They also make ginger lozenges to suck on that work very quickly.

2. Hot Tea

It’s really annoying to suffer a sinus infection. Nausea makes it much worse. This is when hot tea can come to help. Hot tea is one of the oldest and best remedies for any upper respiratory infection including the sinuses. The steam will help open things up and the warmth will settle your stomach. Plus, you can drink tea all day long for relief.

3. Dry Toast

Dry toast can help to soak up stomach acid and mucus, relieving nausea.

4. Peppermint

Not only does the menthol oil in peppermint help relieve sinus congestion, it can also help relieve nausea by soothing the stomach. Suck on a peppermint hard candy or even just breathe in the essential oil.

5. Nasal Rinses

6. Steam

Getting into a hot shower and breathing in steam can help relieve sinus pressure fast. This will help you breathe better and get rid of excess mucus that causes nausea.

7. Rest

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Allergies

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The type and severity of allergy symptoms vary from allergy to allergy and person to person. Allergies may show up as itchy eyes, sneezing, a stuffy nose, throat tightness, trouble breathing, vomiting, and even fainting or passing out.

Kids with severe allergies can be at risk for a sudden, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can happen just seconds after being exposed to an allergen or not until a few hours later .

So doctors will want anyone diagnosed with a life-threatening allergy to carry an epinephrine auto-injector in case of an emergency. Epinephrine works quickly against serious allergy symptoms for example, it reduces swelling and raises low blood pressure.

Airborne Allergy Symptoms

Airborne allergens can cause something known as allergic rhinitis, which usually develops by 10 years of age, reaches its peak in the teens or early twenties, and often disappears between the ages of 40 and 60.

Symptoms can include:

  • swelling
  • a drop in blood pressure, causing lightheadedness or loss of consciousness

Allergic reactions can vary. Sometimes, a person can have a mild reaction that affects only one body system, like hives on the skin. Other times, the reaction can be more serious and involve more than one part of the body. A mild reaction in the past does not mean that future reactions will be mild.

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Whats The Difference Between Having Allergies And Getting Sick

The big distinction between having allergies and being sick is that you canât actually give anyone your allergies â but you can give them your cold. âAllergies are not contagious and, while annoying, are usually harmless,â Dr. Jain says. âHowever, most viruses and bacteria illnesses are contagious.â

To try and detect a difference, pay attention to certain key symptoms. âIf you have a fever or swollen lymph nodes, it is likely an infection,â says Dr. Tania Elliott, M.D., a clinical instructor of medicine and immunology at NYU Langone. Itâs also about when symptoms start. âAllergies come the same time every year and are worse when you are exposed to an allergen ,â she explains. Youâll want to pay attention to how long your symptoms last, too. Allergies will stick around for a few months, Dr. Elliott says, while upper respiratory infections typically wonât stick around longer than a week or two.

If you have itchy or watery eyes, clear mucus, a runny nose for more than a week, and your symptoms are consistent each day, you’re likely dealing with allergies, which can usually be relieved with over-the-counter allergy medications. Allergy symptoms generally stay the same, whereas cold symptoms tend to intensify and peak before they ultimately subside.

Symptom : Chronic Cough And Sore Throat

Allergies or sinus infections can be associated with other inflammatory symptoms, such as:

  • Chronic coughing
  • Hoarseness, or a harsh, strained or raspy voice
  • Sore throat

But these also can be symptoms of other problems, such as chronic acid reflux. Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid backs up, or refluxes, out of the stomach and into the esophagus. The chronic type of acid reflux is called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. In some cases of GERD, referred to as laryngopharyngeal reflux , stomach contents can back up and cause symptoms all the way up into the throat, which can damage the soft tissues in that area. LPR can lead to coughing, hoarseness or sore throat, which could be mistaken for allergy symptoms or signs of a sinus infection.

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Can Allergies Make You Sick

Thereâs another reason to get your allergies in check, other than not wanting to be sneezing for four months straight. When irritants make their way into your nasal passages, it’s basically open season for cold viruses. Dr. Elliott explains that with allergens afoot, âYou produce more mucous, your sinuses get filled and clogged with fluid, and it sets up the ideal environment for viruses and bacteria to settle in and cause infections.â

This is largely because allergies are putting your immune system on high alert, which is stressful for your body. âAny stress on or in the body that activates the immune system can make you more susceptible to actually getting sick,â Dr. Jain says. âUntreated allergy symptoms can create constant stress on the body, which causes the immune system to prioritize fighting off the foreign allergen instead of recognizing and fighting off viruses and bacteria that enter the body.â In other words, allergies distract your body from the âreal enemiesâ â viruses and bacteria that can make you sick â which can make you much more susceptible to developing an actual illness.

Experts:

Dr. Sanjeev Jain, M.D., doctor double-board certified in immunology and internal medicine, Columbia Asthma and Allergy Clinic

Dr. Tania Elliott, M.D., clinical instructor of medicine and immunology, NYU Langone

Allergy Dos And Don’ts: Get Extra Rest

Can Allergies Make You Nauseous And Dizzy?

“The answer is a bit tricky,” says Novey. Resting doesn’t improve allergy symptoms because the problem is not caused by a weak immune system, which would be improved by rest. “Now,” he adds, “here’s the tricky part. Allergy symptoms make it easier to get an infection, like a sinus infection. If you are rested, you are less likely to have your allergy symptoms escalate into another type of infection.”

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How Common Are Food Allergies And Intolerances

Food allergies affect about 1 percent of adults and 7 percent of children, although some children outgrow their allergies. Food intolerances are much more common. In fact, nearly everyone at one time has had an unpleasant reaction to something they ate. Some people have specific food intolerances. Lactose intolerance, the most common specific food intolerance, affects about 10 percent of Americans.

Treatment For Food Allergies In Adults

The goal of treatment is to stay away from the food that causes the allergic symptoms. There is no medicine to prevent food allergies. But research is ongoing.

You need to be prepared in case you eat something with the food that causes your allergic reaction. If you are at risk of a severe reaction, talk with your healthcare provider about getting epinephrine auto-injectors. These should be used if you have a reaction. Carry these with you at all times.

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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.

Treatment For Asthma From Pollen Allergies

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If you have asthma caused by pollens, your doctor will prescribe the correct medication and help you to develop a plan to manage your asthma. Make sure you follow your asthma action plan.Asthma can be well controlled with the appropriate medication in almost all people. The main types of medication are:

  • relievers that act quickly to relax the muscles around the airways this is the medication used during an asthma attack
  • preventers that slowly make the airways less sensitive to allergy triggers and reduce inflammation inside the airways these are taken daily
  • combination therapies with preventers containing two different medications.

If you have an asthma attack, follow your asthma action plan. In case of emergency, call triple zero and ask for an ambulance. Tell the operator that someone is having an asthma attack.The signs of an emergency include when the person:

  • finds it very difficult to breathe
  • is unable to speak comfortably or if their lips are turning blue
  • has symptoms that get worse very quickly
  • is getting little or no relief from their reliever inhaler.

While waiting for the ambulance, give four puffs of reliever medication every four minutes.

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Vomiting Vs Spitting Up

Spitting up is common in babies, because babies digestive systems are still maturing. During their first few months, around half of all babies spit up.

Spitting up still means baby is healthy it isnt a sign that anything is wrong. It happens simply because the sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus has trouble staying closed, so it causes the contents of the stomach to flow back into the esophagus.

Spit-up is not a concern when what baby spits up easily flows out of the mouth. It is also not a concern when baby seems content .

But if baby forcefully expels food, and seems uncomfortable or in distress when they do so, this is vomiting, not spit-up.

Remember that spit-up usually looks like a dribble, while vomit shoots out suddenly and forcefully. Vomiting also brings up more liquid than spit up, and may be yellow or green in color.

Nurse Dani of Intermountain Moms breaks down the difference between vomiting and spit-up, and what to do if you see that baby is vomiting:

What Is Flea Or Insect Bite Allergy And How Is It Treated

Insect bite allergy is the exaggerated inflammatory response to the bite or sting of an insect. Arachnids such as spiders and ticks, and insects including fleas, blackflies, deerflies, horseflies, mosquitoes, ants, bees, hornets and wasps, can cause an allergic reaction in sensitive dogs.

Flea saliva is by far the most common insect allergen in dogs, causing flea allergy dermatitis . Most dogs experience minor local irritation from flea bites. The FAD dog will react to a single bite with severe local itching. A dog with FAD will bite and scratch itself and may remove large amounts of hair, especially in the tail-base region. A secondary bacterial infection may develop in the areas of broken skin.

“Because one flea can be a problem for a dog with FAD, strict flea control is essential.”

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Your Blood Sugar Is Too Low

Your hormones work to regulate your blood sugar levels. But if your blood sugar starts to dip too low , certain hormones spike to help your body produce more glucose. When this happens, your stomach experiences a surge in signals that can create the sensation of nausea, says Dr. Lee.

Low blood sugar can also affect your autonomic nervous system, similar to the mechanism of nausea associated with anxiety, says Dr. Hoch.

Nix the nausea: To help keep your blood sugar steady, go for foods on the lower end of the glycemic index , says Dr. Hoch. The GI measures how quickly the carbs in various foods are broken down to sugar and released into your blood. Most fruits, non-starchy vegetables, legumes, and oats are all great options, according to the American Heart Association.

The timing of your meals matters, too. Hypoglycemia can be prevented by consuming small frequent meals throughout the day, says Dr. Hoch. Keep your portion sizes under control, include a mix of lean protein, quality fats, and low-GI carbs , and aim to eat every 3 to 4 hours.

Histamine Can Cause Stomach Upset

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When histamine is released in the gastrointestinal tract, it can cause symptoms like stomach pain, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, and constipation.

Underlying conditions and imbalances can also cause too much histamine to be released.

A few examples are small intestinal bacterial overgrowth , underlying or low-grade infection, poor diet, heavy metal toxicity, nutrient deficiencies, and food sensitivities.

What is referred to as histamine intolerance or histamine sensitivity is usually a combination of a few underlying factors .

In a case of histamine intolerance, an individual can become sensitized to histamine-containing foods, histamine-releasing foods, as well as classic environmental allergens.

A common treatment for histamine intolerance is to be on a special diet and take supplemental medication – but those with histamine intolerance will only have moderate success without personalized treatment to address the underlying cause.

Read more about Histamine Intolerance

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Swollen Tongue Or Lips

If your mouth, lips, or tongue swells up for no apparent reason, it could be angioedema, a sign of an allergic reaction. It isnât always serious. But if the swelling makes it hard to breathe, it could be life-threatening. If your lips or tongue swells up often, let your doctor know so you can get treatment and find the cause.

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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.

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Signs Your Symptoms Aren’t Caused By Allergies

1. Your snot is green. It’s not pretty, and it’s a sign of infection.

2. You have a fever. Hot flashes and chills are symptoms that are never linked to allergies.

3. You feel pain in your cheeks. While allergies can trigger sinus pressure around the eyes and temples, pain that extends through the cheeks and even to the teeth can signal inflammatory build-up that’s common in sinus infections not allergies. And that could require antibiotics to clear up.

4. You have a cough … but that’s not all. “You have to look at the constellation of symptoms because it’s very hard to differentiate between an allergic cough and one caused by post-nasal drip related to a virus,” Dr. Corn explains. So a cough, plus anything else on this list = something more serious than allergies.

5. Congestion + bad breath. Terrible congestion is the hallmark of seasonal allergies, but it can occur for a host of reasons. When paired with smelly breath or a foul taste in the mouth, it’s probably a sign of infection.

If you think you’re sick : See your doctor to rule out an infection that requires antibiotics , strep, and the flu.

Signs Your Symptoms Are Caused By Allergies

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1. You have a combo of nasal congestion, a scratchy throat, a runny nose, pressure around your eyes, and itchy ears and eyes. Looks like allergies, smells would smell like allergies too, if you werent too stuffed up to smell.

2. Your symptoms last more than two weeks. If your nose runs on and on, with a scratchy throat and lots of congestion that gets no worse, but no better, its probably just allergies.

3. Your snot is yellow or clear. Even with pale yellow snot, youre OK.

4. Youre fine the rest of the year. Asthmatic coughing and wheezing that starts up juuust about the same time as the flowers bloom in April, May, or June is an unlikely coincidence. *Puts money on allergies.*

5. If you do think you have allergies: Consider taking an OTC antihistamine, or better yet, see an allergist who can tell you exactly what to take and whether you could benefit from a nasal steroid or a nasal spray. And feel better!

Follow Elizabeth on and .

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