Heres When Low Energy And Tiredness Warrants A Visit To Your Doctor
Feeling tired here and there is pretty normalbut experiencing constant fatigue isnt. If youre struggling, Dr. Khan recommends seeing your doctor. Theyll likely want to do a bunch of tests, including a physical exam and blood work, to try to figure out whats happening.
The upside: The sooner you seek help, the sooner you can get answersand start down the road to recovery and back to your energetic self.
Pollen Allergies Are Seasonal
The season for pollen allergies can last for several months and occurs when the plants are flowering. This will vary depending on location and the type of plant. For instance:
- Non-native trees tend to pollinate in late winter and spring.
- In Victoria, winds from the north tend to bring pollen from non-native grasses growing inland between October and December.
- White Cypress pine is the only Australian tree that produces highly allergenic pollen and it flowers approximately between late July and the end of August.
- Species of Casuarina or Australian oak trees produce pollen throughout the year and can cause hay fever symptoms at any time.
Clinical immunology/allergy specialists who diagnose allergies have online calendars showing when common species of pollen cause allergies in the states and territories of Australia.
Fewer Allergens Means Less Fatigue And Better Sleep
After taking these steps, individuals can expect their constant fatigue to lessen. Symptoms could improve in leaps and bounds for some sufferers. Fewer allergens in the home and bedroom will lead to higher quality sleep. From there, a person can expect to feel more rejuvenated in the morning and have more energy during the day. Those that suffer from severe allergies can still reduce their fatigue and other symptoms in noticeable ways!
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Keep Your Furniture As Dust
Most people are surprised by the amount of debris and dust collected in nooks and crannies in the room. Avoid heavy drapes and upholstered furniture in the bedroom. Avoid floor-to-floor carpet, if possible. Use tightly-woven fabric for your sheets and pillowcase to prevent trapping of dust. Avoid dust collectors, such as stuffed animals, fake flowers, and old books in the bedroom.
Diagnosis Of Pollen Allergies
If you have allergic symptoms that seem to appear at certain times of the year, you should visit your doctor, who will ask some questions about your allergic reactions. You can also discuss your record of your symptoms. To diagnose your allergy, your doctor may refer you to a clinical immunology/allergy specialist.
Clinical immunology/allergy specialists can test for allergies using a number of methods depending on the type of potential allergy. To test for an allergy to pollens, the allergist may use a skin prick test or a blood test for allergies. Information about evidence based allergy testing is available on the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy website.
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Things You Should Know Aboutallergy
- 09 Jul, 2020
Allergies can cause all kinds ofunpleasant, distracting symptoms, from digestive upsets and headachesto respiratory trouble and runny eyes. However, you may also haveexperienced another few hallmark symptoms of allergy problems:fatigue, drowsiness, and mental sluggishness.
If you have had noticeable troublegathering your thoughts, maintaining your alertness, or even stayingawake during the day, you need to understand how your allergies maycreate or aggravate your tiredness. Take heed of the following fourkey points about allergy-related fatigue.
1. Allergens Cause BiochemicallyBased Fatigue
An allergic reaction occurs when yourimmune system goes into battle by mistake, attacking a harmlesssubstance as if it were a virus or other germ. It does this byinstructing mast cells to produce antibodies for release into thebloodstream. These antibodies belong to a category known asimmunoglobulin E.
In addition to immunoglobulin E, theimmune system releases a substance called histamine. When both ofthese substances produce an inflammatory reaction in the body, youmay experience a sense of tiredness alongside other, more obviousallergic symptoms.
2. Allergic Sinusitis Can CauseBrain Fog
Individuals who feel dazed and unableto think well often describe their problem as brain fog. While brainfog may occur in association with many health problems, most notablyfibromyalgia, it can also occur as a side effect of a conditioncalled allergic sinusitis.
Fatigue Cause No : Dehydration
Your fatigue can be a sign of dehydration. Whether you’re working out or working a desk job, your body needs water to work well and keep cool. If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.
Fix: Drink water throughout the day so your urine is light colored. Have at least two cups of water an hour or more before a planned physical activity. Then, sip throughout your workout, and afterward drink another two cups.
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Take Care Of Your Clothes
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, its especially important to put your clothes in the laundry room as soon as you come home. This way, pollen that might be clinging to your clothes wont have a chance to enter your bedroom. But caring for your clothes doesnt end there.
During seasons when allergies are most common, its recommended to avoid air-drying clothes so that it doesnt attract pollen. Instead, the best option is to use a dryer if you have access to one.
Allergies can be unpleasant, especially when they start to interfere with your daily routine and disrupt the quality of your sleep. However, ensuring that your bedroom is an allergy-free environment is one way to help you manage your allergy.
If you experience a severe or persistent allergic reaction, consult a doctor for medical help.
Fatigue Cause No 1: Heart Disease
When fatigue strikes during everyday activities, such as cleaning the house or weeding the yard, it can be a sign that your heart is no longer up to the job. If you notice it’s becoming increasingly difficult to finish tasks that were once easy, talk to your doctor about heart disease.
Fix: Lifestyle changes, medication, and therapeutic procedures can get heart disease under control and restore your energy.
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Fatigue Cause No : Sleep Apnea
Some people think they’re sleeping enough, but sleep apnea gets in the way. It briefly stops your breathing throughout the night. Each interruption wakes you for a moment, but you may not be aware of it. The result: youâre sleep-deprived despite spending eight hours in bed. Your doctor may order a sleep study to check for this.
Fix: Lose weight if you’re overweight, quit smoking, and you may need a CPAP device to help keep your airway passages open while you sleep.
You Have Multiple Sclerosis
This is an less-likely diagnosis, but its still worth mentioning. MS is a disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society .
Fatigue is a very common symptom in people with MSabout 80 percent of patients struggle with it, according to the NMSS. The fatigue can get so bad that it can significantly interfere with a persons ability to function, even if they feel good otherwise. The fatigue can be caused by treatable medical side effects of medication, or other causes, per the NMSS.
How to fix it: There are specific treatments to help people with MS manage fatigue, including occupational therapy to simplify tasks at home, physical therapy to learn energy-saving ways of walking and doing other tasks, a regular exercise program, sleep regulation, psychological interventions, and heat management strategies, per the NMSS.
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Is It Common For People With Other Health Issues To Have Adrenal Fatigue Too
Just because a person has IBS, diabetes, autoimmune disease, or other health issues does not mean that they will definitely experience adrenal fatigue, but it is not uncommon for people with health issues to deal with it.
If a persons body is struggling and they have not been able to change their situation or more stress is added, either in the form of chronic or acute stress, it is very possible adrenal fatigue could occur.
How To Treat Seasonal Allergies
In most cases, an over-the-counter antihistamine and decongestant will do the trick. If you have severe allergies, however, your doctor may prescribe nasal steroid spray or allergy shots to dampen symptoms.
Its always a good idea to try your best to avoid your triggers, but that doesnt mean you have to hole up inside with a box of tissues. To get less exposure to your allergens:
- Keep your windows shut when your allergies are active
- Use an air purifier if youre sensitive to indoor allergens
- Wear a dust mask while doing yard work
- Check your local weather network for pollen forecasts
- Take a shower and wash your hair at the end of each day to get rid of pollen that attached to your clothes, hair and skin
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So Why Do Allergies Make You Tired
There are actually a few potential reasons why your allergies are wiping you out. And, when combined, they can lead to some serious fatigue.
Youre not breathing well.
When this happens, youre not getting oxygen as easily, and your body has to work a little harder to operate normally, which can wear you out, says Purvi Parikh, M.D., an allergist and immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Network.
The immune response is tough on your body.
Allergies cause bodily inflammation, and when your immune system is inflamed, your body uses up a fair amount of energy and resources to make an immune response, says Kara Wada, M.D., an allergist and immunologist at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. Plus, when youre having an allergic reaction and histamines are released, that can make you feel tired, notes Dr. Monteleone.
Youre having trouble sleeping.
Seasonal allergies tend to cause nasal congestion, and that disturbs your ability to get a good nights rest, says Dr. Monteleone.
Your medication is wiping you out.
Certain allergy medications, including first-generation antihistamines like diphenhydramine can make you feel tired, says Stanley Schwartz, M.D., Ph.D., division chief of Allergy-Immunology-Rheumatology at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
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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What If My Fatigue Is Not Caused By Allergies
There is a chance that you may have allergies, but also a deeper sleep issue. If that is the case, our physicians can refer you to one of our sleep experts at Expert Sleep Medicine. Here you will take a sleep test, which can be in your own bed at home. The results from this test will likely give you a definitive answer to why you are feeling so tired.
Immunotherapy For Allergies To Pollen
In some cases, your clinical immunology/allergy specialist may suggest allergen immunotherapy which is also known as desensitisation. It involves a series of injections, tablets, sprays or drops given under the tongue of very small doses of the allergen over a long time. This can help to improve tolerance of the pollens that are triggering your allergy and reduce symptoms.
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Fatigue Cause No : Anemia
Anemia is one of the leading causes of fatigue in women. Menstrual blood loss can cause an iron deficiency, putting women at risk. Red blood cells are needed because they carry oxygen to your tissues and organs.
Fix: For anemia caused by an iron deficiency, taking iron supplements and eating iron-rich foods, such as lean meat, liver, shellfish, beans, and enriched cereal, can help.
What You Can Do
It might leave you feeling discouraged to hear about the links between fatigue, mood, and even cognitive abilities and allergies, but there are many things that can be done that could, in turn, benefit you both from an allergy standpoint and a non-nasal symptom standpoint.
We have come a long way in methods of treating allergic rhinitis. That said, everyone is different and it often requires some trial and error to find out what works best for you.
The first step is to take a look at your environment. With the medications we have available, it’s sometimes easy to forget that there are other methods available to address your symptoms such as avoidance of the cause.
You may also want to keep an eye on outdoor pollen counts and plan outdoor activities around these. Of course, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and practicing stress management can make a difference all the way around.
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A Complete Thyroid Panel
A complete thyroid panel is very important! But it is also one of the more frustrating tests to interpret. Many doctors do not interpret these tests well which means a lot of people suffer from less than optimal thyroid function.
These are the top six tests that I found helpful but you or your health care professional may want to look into other tests as well.
Can Allergies Cause Fatigue And Brain Fog
The answer to the questions, Can allergies cause fatigue? and, Can allergies cause brain fog? are very intertwined. Brain fog confusion and a lack of mental clarity is technically a symptom of a symptom the combination of tiredness and swollen nasal passages caused by allergies can lead to brain fog.
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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 Do The Adrenals Do
The adrenal glands are the bodys emergency system. When the body is under chronic stress, the adrenals will send out cortisol into the bloodstream. Over time, chronic cortisol output will weaken the endocrine system, liver, digestive system, and brain it will also slow down your thyroid. So, if you are wanting to reduce your thyroid symptoms, start with healthy adrenal glands.
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Herbal Medicines And Allergies
Asteraceae is a family of flowering plants, including many common species, and some are used in herbal medicines. Pollen from plants in this family is a common cause of hay fever, asthma and dermatitis.
Plants from the Asteraceae family include:
- plants grown for their flowers chrysanthemums, dahlias, sunflowers, marigolds, safflower and daisies
- edible foliage plants lettuce, safflower, chicory and artichoke
- weeds ragweed, mugwort, sagebrush, wormwood, feverfew
- plants used in some herbal medicines echinacea, dandelion, chamomile, feverfew, milk thistle and wormwood.
Echinacea can cause severe allergic reaction , asthma attacks, severe hives and swelling in some people, and this can occur when the first dose of echinacea is taken.
Pollen from plants in the Asteraceae family can also cause an allergic skin reaction on contact. The pollen can be found in herbal medicines, shampoos, cosmetics and massage oils, and includes pollen from plants such as the:
- chamomile
- sunflower
- tansy.
Sensitisation to pollen of plants from the Asteraceae family has also been linked with allergic reactions to other substances that are similar. This is known as cross-reactivity and has caused allergic reactions to:
- plant-derived herbal medicines echinacea, royal jelly, bee pollen extracts and chamomile
- foods celery, honey, sunflower seeds, carrot, lettuce, watermelon and nuts.
How Allergies Affect Your Mood And Energy Level
Many studies have shown that people with allergic rhinitis not only suffer from symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, and itchy eyes and nose, but from non-nasal symptoms, such as fatigue and depression as well.
Allergic rhinitis can make it harder to concentrate at work or school and affect your energy level and sleeping habits.
Unfortunately, some of these “extra-nasal” symptoms are more difficult to treat than the allergies themselves. Some of the major ones are:
- Fatigue
- Cognitive Effects
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How Your Allergies Might Be Making You Tired
Most people who ask themselves, Why do I feel so tired all the time? wind up blaming their fatigue on being stressed, overworked, or other external causes. Others may point to a lack of sleep or getting poor sleep. While these potential culprits can contribute to lack of sleep, theres another suspect whom Houstonians should keep in mind: allergies.
Very few people suspect that their allergies can rob them of quality rest or make them feel tired, but they can, and for multiple reasons. The next time you ask yourself, Why do I feel so tired all the time or even, Can allergies cause fatigue? remember these three things:
