Yes, allergies can make you tired!
By: Gabbi Di Marino - content manager and fellow allergy sufferer
Picture this: It’s early fall, ragweed is wreaking havoc on your sinuses, and wouldn’t you know, suddenly that trip to the apple orchard you’d been looking forward to doesn’t seem appealing. Instead, a nice, long nap with your go-to duvet sounds much more your speed. If your seasonal allergies make you tired, you’re not dramatic - fatigue is a very real side-effect of hay fever, and it’s no wonder that this symptom can be quite debilitating.
Let’s dive into the whys and hows behind hay fever-induced fatigue.
Why do seasonal allergies make you tired?
Let’s start with the obvious: dealing with nagging symptoms like runny nose, congestion, itching, and coughing can disrupt sleep, making you feel groggy and unrested the next day. But that isn’t the only reason your allergies make you tired. Allergic reactions release chemicals that can make a person feel exhausted, and though these chemicals are supposed to help combat the response, they also can cause your nasal tissues to swell.
When already dealing with a crappy night’s rest and persistent symptoms on top of it, it’s no wonder that seasonal allergies can affect a person’s energy for the day. This condition, feeling tired from seasonal allergies, is known as brain fog, and it can make everyday things like work and school incredibly hard to concentrate through.
How do you treat fatigue caused by seasonal allergies?
First things first, to treat the fatigue caused by your allergies, you’ll need to treat the allergies themselves. It makes sense, right? And to treat your allergies, you’ll need to find out what you’re allergic to specifically. Why? Identifying your triggers can help you create a treatment plan to help curb your symptoms and get you feeling like your bubbly self.
So, you’ll want to talk to your doctor and schedule an allergy test. The most common tests include skin tests. They involve pricking the skin with a small amount of an allergen. Blood tests, which show the potential cells you may have that can help pinpoint allergic triggers. And a physical exam to identify any physical signs of allergies like skin irritation and breathing problems.
Once you know what you’re allergic to, you can start to avoid the allergen when possible! Like, say you’re allergic to ragweed pollen. That would mean you’d begin tracking ragweed levels and try your best to steer clear of outdoor time when the pollen count is at its highest. You and your doctor will probably also work out a treatment plan together, so it’s important that you follow whatever prescribed regimen you have to keep your symptoms at bay!
If you’re looking for natural remedies in the meantime or want to give your treatment routine a boost, this post is just the thing for ya!
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