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.
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 don’t want to constantly take medicine. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America , allergy shots work best for environmental allergens such as pollen and dust mites. “Sublingual immunotherapy” is most effective for nasal allergies, such as dust mites and ragweed.
Neither method is approved for food allergies, although research is currently underway, according to the AAFA.
The bottom line is allergic reactions have been around for about as long as people have been around. The body’s 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.
Revisit Your Allergy Treatment
Changing the type of allergy medication you take or the time you take it may improve your sleep. For example, try taking a dose of medication at night so that it works while you sleep.
If you currently use an over-the-counter antihistamine and you still struggle with sleep problems, talk with us about prescription medications. We can help you find more effective options.
When you still have trouble sleeping despite these efforts, it may be time to consider allergy shots or sublingual immunotherapy. Both treatments give you regular doses of your allergen. Over time, your immune system becomes desensitized, and you stop having allergic reactions.
You dont need to let allergies ruin your sleep when help is available from us at Rheumatology and Allergy Institute of Connecticut. Call the nearest office or request an appointment online today.
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Invest In A Hypoallergenic Mattress
Dust mites and pet dander basically live in the crevices of your mattress, which means they might go unnoticed until youre hit with an allergy attack. This is where a hypoallergenic mattress comes in. When picking one, its essential to consider a few different factors.
In addition to being the most comfortable mattress, your new bed should ideally have a washable cover. Washing your mattress cover regularly is one of the best ways to protect your health and prevent the buildup of dust mites and dander.
When investing in a new mattress, be sure to pick one thats also best for sleep. A hybrid mattress is an ideal choice if youre looking for that perfect level of support and comfort. Essentially, hybrid mattresses are a cross between traditional innerspring mattresses and memory foam, which means they deliver the right amount of stability and cushioning comfort.
In case youre not in the market for a new mattress, consider supplementing your current one with a hypoallergenic mattress protector and sheets so that you can keep the allergens at bay.
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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Allergies Affect People Day And Night
Chances are high that individuals with allergies know they have them. Theyll spend their days sneezing, coughing, and feeling congested. Typically, people realize how allergies affect themselves during the day. Not all sufferers recognize that allergies can worsen the quality of their sleep. The immune system targets allergens, and this frequent immune response disrupts the body in various ways.
What Should You Do During Anaphylactic Shock
If you or someone else is showing symptoms of anaphylactic shock, follow these life-saving measures:
- Eliminate the allergen or transfer from the site.
- Ask for help nearby or call emergency hotlines like 911.
- Lie in the supine position and elevate your legs to ease breathing until help arrives.
- Rush to the nearest medical center to get an intramuscular dose of epinephrine to reduce the symptoms of anaphylaxis.
- Provide oxygen supplementation and IV fluids.
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Treating Body Aches And Fatigue
Symptoms of allergies can be treated, but lasting relief comes from treating the cause of the allergies. Uncovering what allergens you are intolerant of can help you treat your allergies, and reduce or eliminate your symptoms. A board-certified allergist can help to diagnose your allergies and come up with a treatment plan.
At the Center for Allergy and Asthma of Georgia, our allergists are all board-certified specialists in Allergy and Immunology. Our teams focused training allows us to help you find relief from your allergies. We offer extended hours and same-day appointments to ensure that you can get treatment from our Georgia allergists, with no wait. Contact our offices today to schedule your appointment.
Could My Allergy Medication Be Part Of The Problem
Prescription medications can cause fatigue, but when used properly and managed well, they can help allergy sufferers battle through.
“The best treatment outcomes are always when the patient and physician work together to tailor a treatment plan to a particular patient’s allergies, lifestyle, and needs,” explains Dr. Haden.
Mississippi-based pharmacist Lori Elliott says to use caution when combining allergy medications with other prescription products that can cause drowsiness, including those for pain, anxiety, depression, and blood pressure. “People should take these medications at night,” says Elliott, who currently works as a pharmacist in Oxford and has worked as a pharmacist in Georgia and Mississippi for more than 30 years. “If drowsiness continues to affect quality of life, I recommend contacting your prescriber for a reduction in dose or a change in therapy.”
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Do Allergic Reactions Make People Tired
All immune responses require energy, says Dr. Haden, especially responses to actual infections and threats against the body. “But in the case of an allergic response, this energy is wasted in an unnecessary endeavor against an allergen incorrectly identified as a threat,” he explains.
The constant release of histamines and other chemicals aimed at fighting off the allergens wears the body down, leading to persistent fatigue.
Whether it’s pollen or bee stings, the source of the allergen is all equally likely to cause fatigue. “People are allergic to different things, so that means that people will have different primary causes for their allergen-induced fatigue,” says Dr. Haden, who serves on the staff for 10 Texas-based hospitals. He says allergy-related fatigue may vary in intensity throughout the year, especially for those who have seasonal allergies, like pollen and ragweed.
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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Stress And Work Allergies
Many patients complain of increased allergies when thereâs high stress at work, says Gailen Marshall, MD, PhD, director of the division of clinical immunology and allergy at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
People often think the allergy trigger is a work-related exposure. But Marshall tells WebMD that stress from work deadlines, conflicts with co-workers, and long hours can all increase allergy symptoms.
How Does An Allergic Reaction Impact Sleep
Weve established two things: Allergic reactions can make you tired, and they do, in fact, get worse at night for several different reasons. But how exactly does an allergic response disrupt sleep?
Experiencing an allergic reaction can trigger several issues, such as insomnia, low sleep quality, restless sleep, and increased risk for sleep apnea and snoring. Typically, the severity of your allergy symptoms is connected to sleep. If your allergy symptoms get worse, the sleep problems you face might also be more profound. Because of either one or a combination of these issues, youre also likely to experience higher levels of fatigue during the day.
Research conducted on participants who suffered from allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma found that both groups had trouble falling asleep and reported feeling unsatisfied with the quality of their sleep. Those suffering from allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma also said that their daytime functioning was impacted due to fatigue, and they struggled to focus on work and other daily tasks.
Its also interesting to note that 67.1% of respondents said their allergy trigger was pollen, and 48.1% also said they experienced the worst allergy symptoms during springtime. This means its essential to take extra precautions during spring to ensure your sleep isnt adversely impacted so you can fight allergy fatigue.
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What Causes Food Allergies And Sensitivities
Researchers are not sure what the exact cause of food allergies is. However, they do know there is a strong hereditary or genetic connection. This is because the family members of people with food allergies often also have allergies. Food allergies arise from sensitivity to chemical compounds in food, but why the body reacts to some food proteins and not to others remains a mystery.
Your body develops food allergies after being exposed to what it thinks is a harmful food protein. Remember, your body creates antibodies to anything it believes is foreign or harmful. For example, if you are born with a peanut allergy, the first time you eat peanuts , your immune system responds by creating the specific antibody IgE that reacts to the peanut protein. If you eat peanuts again, your body recognizes it and releases the IgE antibodies and other chemicals, including histamine, in an effort to expel the protein invader from your body.
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 Can Allergies Make You Tired
Allergies are caused by your immune system responding to airborne allergens by releasing chemicals that create inflammation in your nose. As a result, you might experience nasal congestion, sneezing, and an itchy, runny nose. All of these irritating allergy symptoms narrow airways, making it difficult to breathe, especially when youre lying down. These allergy symptoms can make for difficult nights sleep.
While many people suffer from seasonal allergies , many Canadians experience year-round symptoms. The culprit: common indoor allergenssuch as dust mites, pet dander, and mouldall of which can be found in the bedroom. Fortunately, there are actions you can take to minimize your exposure to these allergens so you can enjoy a better nights sleep year-round.
Certain Allergy Medications Can Worsen Fatigue
Even though they work to relieve some symptoms, certain allergy medicines can actually make you more tired. Antihistamines in particular have been known to cause drowsiness, however, most newer, second-generation pills are designed to be non-drowsy. Still, it is important to always read labels carefully, and consult with a doctor if unsure which allergy medications may cause increased fatigue.
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Why & How Allergies Can Make You Tired
The ragweed is in bloom or you visited a friend with a cat, and now your allergies are leaving you so exhausted youâre dragging around all day. Is it the allergies themselves that turn you into a lethargic ghost of your former self? Could it be your medication? Why and how can allergies make you tired?
When you have an allergic reaction, your body releases proteins called proinflammatory cytokines, which are designed to neutralize invading particles, including allergens like pollen, pet dander, and mold. Researchers believe that cytokines act on the central nervous system and prompt leukocytes and other cells to secrete IL-1 beta , a hormone-like substance that can make you feel lethargic and depress your mood. Perhaps fatigue from the inflammatory process is your bodyâs way of telling you to rest so it can fight whatever is plaguing your system.
Some research links daytime drowsiness and lethargy to poor nighttime sleep, a complaint from many who suffer from allergies. A stuffy nose, post-nasal drip, and coughing can surely ruin a nightâs sleep. Add that to several weeks of bad sleep that you might get during a typical allergy season and youâre in a state of chronic fatigue. This can lead to other health problems that worsen fatigue.
Medication
Can allergies make you tired? Yes. Can you do anything about it? Yes. Limit exposure to allergens, evaluate your medications, and talk to your doctor about treatment options.
How Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed
Right now, theres no test to tell if someone has chronic fatigue syndrome. Doctors ask a lot of questions . They also will do a thorough physical exam.
Doctors also usually order blood, urine , or other tests to check for conditions that cause similar symptoms. They may send a person to see other specialists to help with the diagnosis.
A doctor may suggest meeting with a psychologist or a therapist who can see whether mental health disorders might contribute to or mask CFS.
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Schedule An Appointment With An Allergist Expert
You dont have to lay in bed whenever allergic reactions strike you down. Manhattan Medical Arts has expert physicians on board who can help you curb your allergy symptoms and can also help you figure out what you may be allergic to. Schedule an appointment in order to visit our board-certified physician or receive medical consultation online.
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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.
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Why Cant I Just Catch Up On Sleep At Night
Its not that you cant sleep, its that allergies can cause both insomnia and very fragmented sleep, explains Dr. Kansagra, who serves as the director of Dukes Pediatric Neurology Sleep Medicine Program.
The inability to fall asleep, or period waking, is due mainly to irritation and discomfort.
Allergies may cause mucous buildup, and swelling and inflammation in the airway that can lead to sleep apnea, which is intermittent blockages in your airway while you sleep, said Dr. Kansagra. This leads to low quality of sleep.
Remember, when allergies are triggered, your body is waging war against the allergens.
A meta-analysis in the Public Library of Science looked at the association between allergic rhinitis and sleep.
Researchers found that those with allergies reported higher incidents of nocturnal dysfunctions, including insomnia, restless sleep, sleep-disordered breathing, and snoring.
The same research also found the nighttime issues led to daytime dysfunction, including difficulty waking up, daytime sleepiness, morning headache, and the use of sleep medications.
Even if you cant remember waking up from your allergy symptoms during the night, you probably did, says Dr. Haden.
Even getting the recommended eight hours of sleep doesnt mean that those were eight quality hours of deep sleep, he adds.
