Can Seasonal Allergies Make You Sleepy
For those who are sensitive to pollen, dust mites and weeds, certain times of the year may make them feel under the weather.While a seasonal allergy attack is not a true illness, the bodys response to allergens may make the sufferer feel sick. Rather than allergies causing sleepiness, they cause fatigue, which may make the sufferer feel sleepy.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
Can Allergies Make You Tired
There are a number of symptoms associated with allergies. The most common ones are watery eyes and nasal congestion. Besides these common and relatively obvious symptoms, people often wonder if allergies can make someone feel tired. The answer is YES! It can.
This may vary from person to person in terms of how tired can allergies make an individual and in some cases, one might not experience this symptom at all but most people suffering from allergies may on a certain degree experience fatigue and tiredness.
Why Do Seasonal Allergies Make You Tired
Allergies cause fatigue. There are many reasons for that. One is the production of antibodies like immunoglobulin E after the allergic reaction happens. The body also releases histamine. Both of them combined to create an inflammatory reaction that causes allergy fatigue.
Besides this, the nasal symptoms can cause restlessness which may affect an individuals sleep and sleep deprivation can lead to allergies making you tired.
Some scientists and experts refer to tiredness caused by fatigue as brain fog, which basically impairs an individuals concentration levels.
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How Do Allergic Reactions Work
When an allergen makes contact, B-cells immediately register the allergen as a threat and trigger the production of Immunoglobulin E from Type 2 Helper T Cells . Immunoglobulin E then binds with mast cells and basophils that regulate immune responses, triggering the release of inflammatory mediators like histamine.
As the histamine and other chemicals work to heal the injury and ward off the threat, they produce the allergy symptoms most of us know firsthand. And with environmental allergies like pollen or dust, these symptoms can persist for weeks at a time.
Side Effects Of Allergy Shots In Adults
Over the course of my allergy shots , Ive experience 5 side effects. If youre considering allergy shots its important to know the side effects that come with the process.
Your reactions will likely be different than mine, but I hope my experience provides insight as your prepare! After all, the last thing you want is to begin receiving allergy shots and experience reactions or side effect that were unexpected.
Choosing to go through with allergy shots is a long-term health decision that can result in large improvements to your quality of life. They do, however, require patience and a significant amount of time.
If youre really struggling with your allergies more than just a few weeks of the year allergy shots can bring relief.
Below, Ill share my experience with side effects from the beginning until now and Ill share my thoughts on whether allergy shots are effective. I hope you find relief just as I have.
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Your Pet Stays In Your Bed
Pet dander is another main allergy trigger that can be harmful to your health. Even if your pet doesnt necessarily sleep in your bed, its essential to try and keep them out of your bedroom entirely. Pet dander can easily stick to clothing and bedding, triggering allergy symptoms at night.
As tough as it might be to do, the best way to minimize your exposure to dander is to ensure your bedroom is off-limits to your pet.
Much like dust mites, investing in hypoallergenic bedding can also ease some of your allergy symptoms at night and help you lock in some much-needed shut-eye to prevent daytime fatigue.
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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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.
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.
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How To Fight Fatigue Related To Allergies
Dr. Chacko Featured on the Cover ofAtlanta’s Top Doctor Magazine
Far too many people deal with constant fatigue today. Unfortunately, individuals dont always know what causes their symptoms. Fatigue often manifests itself during the day after a restless night of sleep. Its a vicious cycle that never seems to end. These days, a number of health conditions can cause fatigue, but few people seem to consider allergies as the culprit. Fighting allergy fatigue requires a comprehensive approach. Finding out the exact allergy that is causing the symptoms is the best long term solution.
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.
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How To Treat Allergy Fatigue
The brain fog and exhaustion of allergy fatigue can be frustrating, but they are not without solutions!
Before anything else, its advisable to talk to a physician or allergist to determine exactly what youre allergic to. Theyll likely perform an allergy test usually a blood or skin test to figure out exactly what triggers an allergic reaction in your system, so you can do your best to avoid that allergen.
Aside from avoiding your allergy, there are a number of other ways you can reduce allergy symptoms, and with them allergy fatigue.
1. Allergy Medication.
Several medications provide relief for allergy symptoms. Decongestants and nasal sprays can make it easier to breathe, and antihistamines help reduce allergy symptoms. Its important to remember that some antihistamines may make you drowsy, but that can actually be a plus if youre having trouble falling asleep! If youre trying to stay awake, non-drowsy allergy relief like Claritin or Zyrtec may be better options.
2. Try a Saline Wash.
Many people find that nasal irrigation using nasal flo or a neti pot helps clear sinuses and relieve congestion and headaches. If youre using a neti pot, be sure to clean it thoroughly between uses.
3. Ask your Doctor for an Allergy Shot.
4. Clean Up Around the House.
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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Fatigue For 2 Days After Shot
Fatigue was one of my main allergy symptoms so its not a surprise that Im easily worn out after a shot. I think my immune system goes into overdrive when I receive the shot and makes me tired.
The fatigue is manageable but Ive learned to not schedule my shot around important work events, presentations, or meetings.
I asked my allergists about this side effect and they didnt say it was common, however, its important to understand that people experience different allergy symptoms and reactions to allergy shots.
Once I reached maintenance dose, my fatigue became less problematic. Needless to say, I have much more energy now!
So How Do Allergies Make You Tired
When battling with allergies, many chalk up their fatigue and low energy to stress and other factors. But the truth is, allergies contribute to fatigue in more ways than one.
1. Your Long-Term Immune Response is Exhausting You.
When your bodys in healing mode, it prioritizes its resources to bring you back to health. With short-term illnesses like colds or the flu, well typically feel tired for a few days and begin regaining energy as we start feeling better.
But with allergies, our immune system stays active for longer than its meant to, requiring more resources and energy to keep up the disease-fighting histamine and immunoglobulin E activity. As time stretches on, the inflammation meant to heal us can become chronic and lead to long-term fatigue resulting from diversion and depletion of your bodys energy.
2. Youre Breathing in Less Oxygen.
Stuffed noses and congestion make it harder to breathe and reduce your oxygen intake. With less oxygen comes less energy for our cells to refuel our bodies, making the impact of a long-term immune response even more exhausting on our systems.
3. Youre Not Sleeping Well.
Nasal congestion can make it uncomfortable, if not impossible to get a good nights sleep. In addition to our decreased oxygen intake, finding a comfortable position to fall asleep can feel like an infuriating pipedream. Sleep is a restorative process that keeps us healthy our health declines when were deprived of sleep, leaving us more and more fatigued.
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Seasonal Allergies And Sleep
Exposure to allergens, such as dust, pollen, and dander, also causes irritation when they enter your nasal passages. This triggers uncomfortable symptoms like congestion, sneezing, and watery eyes. These symptoms affect your ability to breathe easily and tend to worsen at night two reasons why allergies commonly lead to poor quality sleep and leave you feeling tired in the morning.
Your allergies dont just impact your ability to fall asleep, they also interfere with your ability to stay asleep. People with allergies may wake up due to nasal congestion, or sneezing or coughing fits during the night. This kind of allergy-induced sleep deprivation adds up, creating a vicious cycle that leads some to rely on sedatives or alcohol to help them fall or stay asleep.
Even short-term sleep deprivation can have devastating health consequences, which we discuss in our article Five Shocking Ways Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Body.
There are steps you can take to help relieve nighttime allergies that disturb your sleep or keep you awake at night. If your allergies are making you tired and youre looking for relief, check out our article 8 Tips for Nighttime Allergy Relief.
Allergies And Feeling Hungry
Fact Checked
Hunger is the last thing on the mind of a person struggling through a bout of hay fever. Allergy sufferers frequently suffer from reduced appetite, probably as a result of the many unpleasant symptoms that allergies produce. Paradoxically, hunger can be an allergy symptom, but, according to emerging research, it most likely is associated with dietary allergies and food sensitivities instead of respiratory allergens.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
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Is There A Medication Alternative
Dr. Haden says immunotherapy is the best option to break long-term dependence on medications.
The process involves giving gradually increasing doses of the allergen, either by shots or pills under the tongue, to train the immune system to become less sensitive.
Immunotherapy provides the opportunity to have a lasting true reduction in being allergic, says Dr. Haden. It is the most natural and targeted treatment option with the fewest side effects.
Good candidates for immunotherapy have side effects from allergy medication, or dont want to constantly take medicine.
Both allergy shots and sublingual immunotherapy are effective for treating nasal and respiratory allergies. Sublingual allergy tablets are currently available for ragweed and grass pollens, and dust mites. Allergy shots can also treat for additional pollens, such as trees, as well as pet dander.
Neither method is approved for food allergies, although research is currently underway, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
The bottom line is allergic reactions have been around for about as long as people have been around. The bodys natural defense against harm, the immune system, developed over the thousands of years of human existence : A study in Frontiers in Microbiology suggests the first allergies may be to parasites, to signal our ancestors not to eat rotten food.
Next, check out how to stop seasonal allergies.
Can Allergy Shots Make You Sick
Everyone tolerates allergy shots differently. In fact, some people might not tolerate them at all.
Ive never been sick from allergy shots, but I have noticed that if I have a cold or the flu and I get an allergy shot my cold or flu will worsen significantly.
Im not a doctor so I would never answer this question definitively but think about the situation. With allergy shots youre being injected with things your body regards as harmful.
Frequent shots eventually teach your immune system to settle down and stop reacting so strongly.
The tips that Ive used with my allergist:
- Reschedule if youre under stress at work
- Reschedule if youre ill from a cold or flu
- Understand that the shots will exhaust your immune system for a day or two after the shot
- Communicate to your allergist if you feel the shots are too strong
- Communicate to your allergist your reactions
- Keep a journal its useful to look back on and understand if a reaction is normal or out of the ordinary.
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Reactions To Allergy Shots Pictures
Ive included a few of my photos after allergy shots. The first allergy shot picture is the same day and is about 5 hours after the shot.
I believe this is normal and nothing to worry about. Conversely, if there was no reaction at all Id think the shot was too weak.
The second photo is the 2nd day after getting my shot. Notice the redness has significantly decreased. By the 3rd day there is no mark.
Heart Disease And Fatigue
Symptoms: Fatigue from an activity that should be easy
If youre exhausted after an activity that used to be easy — for example, walking up the steps — it may be time to talk to your doctor about the possibility of heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. If your fatigue is related to your heart, medication or treatments can usually help correct the problem, cut the fatigue, and restore your energy.
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