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.
Find Relief From Fatigue Caused By Allergies
Fatigue can be caused by allergies and this can be frustrating. But it doesnt have to be forever. Diagnosing and treating your underlying allergies is the best way to find relief from your symptoms, get better sleep, and wake up feeling rested. Being tired can negatively impact your quality of life in many ways, but an ENT expert can help you address your issues and get back to a life free from fatigue from allergies. Schedule an appointment to discuss your allergy symptoms with a specialist today.
Side Effects Of Allergy Medications
Q1. How do allergies affect mood? It seems when I’m experiencing my hay fever and I take Actifed or Sudafed and the symptoms go away, I become short-tempered on the meds. Can you tell me what causes this?
Andrea, California
Both untreated allergic conditions and allergy medications can cause mood changes. When people have severe nasal allergies, they often complain of feeling irritable and utterly exhausted. Others describe a nervous agitation. People who have chronic hives may also report similar fluctuations in mood that correspond to outbreaks. People who have had anaphylactic reactions often describe a strong sense of impending doom during the early stages of the reaction. Allergy cells produce a potent mix of natural chemicals that are released either gradually or in a large burst during various allergic conditions. Some of these, including histamine and one called TNF-alpha, are known to have mood-altering effects. We have receptors for these chemicals throughout our bodies, including in our brains.
On the other hand, allergy medications can also affect mood in some people. Medications like Sudafed cause some people to feel anxious and jittery, and others to feel lethargic. Many antihistamines cause drowsiness.
Q2. How can I find an allergy medication that doesn’t make me sleepy? Why do they all seem to have this side effect?
Vivi, Greece
Learn more in the Everyday Health Allergy Center.
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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.
Is There Anyone Who Should Not Take Zyrtec
Zyrtec is safe for most people, but there are some populations that should stay away from it. Children under 2, anyone with a history of allergic reaction to Zyrtec or hydroxyzine/piperazine derivatives, and people with severe renal impairment are all people who probably shouldn’t take Zyrtec, says Dr. Patel. For people with these conditions, Zyrtec can cause adverse health effects.
If you are pregnant and breastfeeding, Dr. Patel recommends speaking to your doctor before using it, since some women have experienced side effects. Dr. Eitches suggests taking it with caution if you’re on other medications or take some kind of sleeping aid to help you go to bed.
When in doubt, it’s best to go to your doctor with any questions before you take Zyrtec as an allergy medicine. All things considered though, youre likely to be fine when using Zyrtec, as side effects arent terribly common, Boomershine notes. Still, it’s best to be aware of potential Zyrtec side effectsespecially if you’re planning on popping the stuff on the reg over the next few months.
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Can Allergies Make You Tired How To Beat Allergy Fatigue
Its that time of year againspring means leaves returning to trees and blooming flowers. Unfortunately for allergy sufferers, it also means the reemergence of pollen, weeds, mold spores, and other common seasonal allergens.
Youre probably familiar with common allergy symptoms like coughing, sneezing, and watery eyes, but can allergies make you tired, too?
The short answer is yes, although it varies from person to person. Some people may just feel a bit sleepier than usual in the afternoon, while others experience fatigue thats so debilitating that it keeps them from being able to work or engage in everyday activities and hobbies.
Why do allergies make us tired, and is it possible to beat the fatigue? Florida Medical Clinic immunologist Dr. Daniel Reichmuth answers your questions about allergy fatigue and provides tips on how to alleviate your symptoms and start feeling more awake and alert.
Tips For Getting Quality Sleep With Allergies
If your allergies are keeping you up at night or causing fatigue during the day, ensuring you take the proper steps to get quality sleep each night is always a good idea. Below are a few simple tips that can help you get a good nightâs sleep to feel rested and alert during the day, even if allergies are a problem.
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Congestion Can Cause Brain Fog
A stuffy, swollen nose can make it difficult to think clearly, often causing a hazy or tried feeling. Many have termed this feeling brain fog, and it results from the congestion and pressure in your nasal and sinus air passages. Without treating allergy symptoms, and sometimes contributing sinus issues, the inflammation, irritation, and runny nose at the root of this issue will keep making you feel foggy.
Consider Immunotherapy Allergy Drops
While allergy medications provide short-term relief from symptoms, and often lose their effectiveness if overused, immunotherapy is a more long-term approach to allergy fatigue treatment. Immunotherapy slowly introduces the body to more and more of the allergen it is allergic to so that it builds up a tolerance and no longer reacts as strongly. Allergy shots are an older form of immunotherapy that are very effective, but this treatment has some associated risks and requires frequent office visits. Allergy drops are just as effective but can be done easily from home with daily drops under the tongue, making this one of the best ways to manage and eliminate allergies causing fatigue.
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Treatment With Dr Shukla
Dr. Shukla of Brooklyn New York has been in practice for more than 15 years. He has provided the answers and treatments to many children suffering from asthma, allergies, sleep apnea. Here at the Asthma, Allergy and Sleep Center of New York, we provide you with a personalized, boutique approach to health care and pediatric pulmonology all under one roof. We emphasize prevention and use our advanced diagnostic technologies to give you and your child the best possible care. Whether you need to see a sleep doctor, need allergy treatment or need a pulmonologist, contact Dr. Shuklas New York offices today for an appointment.
Avoid Common Allergy Triggers
Once you know what youre allergic to, you can work to avoid certain environmental allergens. There are many ways to avoid or reduce your exposure to allergens.
- Vacuum often and keep your house clean. Regularly wipe down hard surfaces, vacuum carpets, and wash linens and clothes to remove common allergens like pet dander and dust mites. Change your air filter regularly, and consider investing in an air purifier.
- Control indoor mold. Mold grows in damp, humid environments. Keep humidity levels below 50% in your home, and use cleaners designed to eliminate mold in the bathroom, laundry room, and other damp areas.
- Dont dry clothes outside. Hanging clothes and linens up outside attract airborne pollens and molds. After washing, dry clothes and linens immediately in a dryer.
- Wear gloves while you garden and a mask while you mow the lawn. Gardening and lawn mowing can expose you to many different mold spores, pollens, and weeds. Wearing gloves and a breathable mask can help reduce your exposure to these allergens.
- Stop smoking. Smoke is a very common allergy and asthma trigger. Stopping smoking or reducing your exposure to secondhand smoke can help improve your symptoms.
- Keep windows closed. Keeping windows closed can help reduce the number of outdoor allergens that get inside your home.
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How To Take It
Loratadine comes as 2 different types of tablet ordinary and melt-in-the-mouth tablets.
Swallow ordinary loratadine tablets with a drink of water, milk or juice. If the tablet has a score line, you can break it in half if you find it hard to swallow it whole. Do not chew it.
Melt-in-the-mouth tablets dissolve instantly on your tongue without needing a drink. Be careful not to crush them when you take them out of the packet.
Loratadine liquid may be easier for children to take than tablets. The medicine will come with a plastic syringe or spoon to help you measure out the right dose. If you don’t have a syringe or spoon, ask your pharmacist for one. Do not use a kitchen teaspoon as it will not give the right amount.
Loratadine tablets and melt-in-the-mouth tablets must only be taken by children aged between 2 and 12 years if they weigh 30kg or more. Give children loratadine liquid if they weigh less than 30kg.
Which Works Best For Symptoms Of Allergic Rhinitis
Unfortunately, we dont have head-to-head studies on non-drowsy antihistamines and allergies, which means we dont know for sure which is best. But overall, the research hints that levocetirizine may have a slight edge over the others for relieving allergy symptoms. Heres a summary of some of the research.
According to a review of multiple studies, desloratadine , fexofenadine , and levocetirizine do help relieve nasal congestion caused by allergic rhinitis.
In terms of which non-drowsy antihistamine works best, a statistical analysis of multiple studies found that fexofenadine is no better or worse than the other second-generation antihistamines for blocking the action of histamine. Another statistical analysis suggested that levocetirizine improved allergic rhinitis symptoms to a greater degree than other newer antihistamines . None of the studies in these analyses compared the drugs directly, though. So again, we cant draw firm conclusions.
Looking at their chemical properties, levocetirizine and fexofenadine are more potent than desloratadine, which means they stick better to where theyre supposed to stick in the body. In theory, this should mean they work better.
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Is It Better To Take Zyrtec In The Morning Or At Night
It depends on whether you experience any side effects, says Robert Eitches, MD, an allergist at Tower Allergy. If your problems are only during the day time and you aren’t really prone to side effects, then go ahead and take it during the day.
But if you experience side effects like drowsiness, Dr. Eitches recommends taking your dose at night before bed. “That way you wake up in the morning relatively clearer, too,” he says. If it makes you sleepy, the side effect will have likely worn off by the time you wake up, and since the medication can provide relief for 24 hours, you’ll still experience relief during the day.
Allergy Remedies That Wont Make You Drowsy
Allergies are the sixth-leading cause of chronic illness in the United States, and more than 50 million Americans struggle with allergy symptoms each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With allergy season arriving, theres no need to suffer with either the drowsiness of over-the-counter medications or the allergy symptoms that bother your eyes, lungs, nose, throat, sinuses, ears, skin, or stomach.
Poorly controlled allergies affect the eyes and nose, sleep quality, energy levels, work performance, and can really decrease quality of life if youre miserable all the time, says Dr. David Stukus, an allergist at Nationwide Childrens Hospital, in Columbus, Ohio, and a member of the board of directors for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. A lot of people think thats the way to live, and they cant do any better.
Thats not the case, though. You just need to avoid antihistamines known to cause drowsiness, including chlorpheniramine, which can affect your reaction time and your ability to think quickly, says Stukus.
Here are 10 remedies for dealing with allergy symptoms without feeling sedated.
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Taking Antihistamines With Other Medicines Food Or Alcohol
Speak to a pharmacist or GP before taking antihistamines if you’re already taking other medicines.
There may be a risk the medicines do not mix, which could stop either from working properly or increase the risk of side effects.
Examples of medicines that could cause problems if taken with antihistamines include some types of:
- stomach ulcer or indigestion medicines
- cough and cold remedies that also contain an antihistamine
Try not to drink alcohol while taking an antihistamine, particularly if it’s a type that makes you drowsy, as it can increase the chances of it making you feel sleepy.
Food and other drinks do not affect most antihistamines, but check the leaflet that comes with your medicine to make sure.
Zyrtec Side Effects To Be Aware Of
If you’ve ever slept 14 hours after popping a Benadryl, you’re well aware that some allergy meds can seriously knock you out. That’s not as common with Zyrtec, but 11 to 14 percent of people do report feeling sleepy after taking it, making it the most common side effect reported, says Boomershine.
Since the effects of Zyrtec last 24 hours, drowsiness can hit at any time. Avoid alcohol and be careful about driving if the med hits you with the sleepies, per the Zyrtec site.
Its annoying to feel as if youve inhaled a mouthful of sand. Less than 10 percent of Zyrtec poppers will wind up with a dry mouth, says Boomershine. When you have an allergic response, your tissues secrete more fluid , and antihistamines dry you up. She says that drinking water will help, as will switching to an alcohol-free mouthwash if youre using one that has alcohol in it, as that ingredient also dries you out.
Dizziness can be a rare potential side effect and may disappear after your body adjusts to the medication, per The Mayo Clinic. Give it time, but always check in with your doctor if youre concerned. And, just like drowsiness, hold off on driving if youre getting dizzy spells.
While Zyrtec may make adults sleepy, it can turn kids into little insomniacs, says Boomershine. Having them take the long-acting med earlier in the day wont help either since it lasts all day. Talk to their pediatrician about making a switch.
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How To Treat Fatigue Caused By Allergies
If allergies are truly the source of your fatigue, treating the allergies is the best way to treat the fatigue. An ENT specialist or allergist can help you determine or confirm the root cause of your issues. After conducting an allergy test in the office or at home to diagnose your allergies, consider which allergy treatment option may work best to treat your fatigue and eliminate other symptoms.
Who Can Take Antihistamines
Most people can safely take antihistamines.
But speak to a pharmacist or GP for advice if you:
- are looking for a medicine for a young child
- are taking other medicines
- have an underlying health condition, such as heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease or epilepsy
Some antihistamines may not be suitable in these cases. A pharmacist or doctor can recommend one that’s best for you.
Always read the leaflet that comes with your medicine to check it’s safe for you before taking it or giving it to your child.
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Why Do Some Antihistamines Make You Sleepy
Sedation is a prominent side effect of older antihistamines, what we call first-generation antihistamines. Examples include:
The first-generation antihistamines can make you drowsy because they cross the blood-brain barrier, an intricate system of cells that regulates what substances pass into the brain. In fact, these older antihistamines are often marketed as sleep aids. The first-generation antihistamines are also used in cold-and-flu formulations to provide a side benefit of drowsiness when youre feeling ill and need plenty of rest.
Drowsiness is something to be aware of with first-generation antihistamines. They may increase the risk of falls or fracture in people 65 years or older. According to the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, first-generation antihistamines are also linked to impaired driving as well as fatal car and flying accidents. These drugs can also cause dry mouth, constipation, and difficulty urinating.
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How To Cope With Side Effects
What to do about:
- feeling sleepy try a different non-drowsy antihistamine. If this doesn’t help, talk to your doctor.
- headaches rest and drink plenty of fluids. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a painkiller. Headaches should normally go away after the first week of taking loratadine. Talk to your doctor if they last longer or are more severe.
- feeling tired or nervous talk to your doctor or pharmacist if these side effects don’t go away as they may be able to offer you a different antihistamine.
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