The past year and a half (around when the pandemic started) my allergies went through the roof! I never really had them before, so this was all new to me. At the same time, I had just purchased a condo, was moving to a new city, and the worldwide Covid pandemic hit. So yea, things were a little stressful and things didn’t get any better with all that! I could go on about the responsibilities and all the personal stuff I was also dealing with at the time, but that’s not why I am writing this…..
I’m writing this to show that allergies can indeed, cause more than just itchy, water eyes and a stuffy nose. Your mood, energy, and thinking process can also be effected. And I’ve experienced it!
FATIGUE
Studies have consistently found that daytime tiredness, while occurring less often than nasal symptoms, appears to be more common than itchy eyes or postnasal drip. This study recorded fatigue in 60% of people with allergies, 80% of people claim to feel tired as a result of their allergy symptoms.
MOOD
It’s noted that chronic stress related to depression and anxiety increases the risk that someone will develop and suffer from allergies.
Our immune cells react with allergens in our environment and produce chemicals known as cytokines. Cytokines have been shown responsible for many of the allergy symptoms we experience.
COGNITIVE EFFECTS
Several have admitted to their allergies making them “slower” and research appears to have backed these thoughts.
People with allergies have, overall, been found to have:
• Slower verbal reasoning
• Slower decision making
• Reduced psychomotor speed
That means they reason and react slower than normal during the times they are most affected by their allergy symptoms.
TREATMENTS
Everyone is different and it typically takes some trial and error to find out what works best for each individual.
First, take a look at your environment.
Outside: Pollen, trees, grass, construction, pollution, drastic change in weather, etc.
Inside: Pets, dust, types of soaps used, etc.
As well as what you’re eating.
If you discover something triggering, obviously do what must be done to rid it from your environment (if possible. some cases you cannot avoid it such as pollution or weather changes)
If symptoms still persist, there are a few natural remedies you can do at home.
Life Seasons Breathe-X, sinus and allergy support
This is somthing I’ve personally been taking for over a year now. It contains plants and vitamins such as Quercetin, Bromelain, Citrus Bioflavonoids, and Vitamin C to help manage healthy tissue in the respiratory tract, promote normal immune function, and provide antioxidants to assist in detoxification.
Neti Pot
A neti pot is a popular home-based treatment for nasal congestion. If you’re experiencing upper respiratory congestion or recovering from nasal surgery, you can get a neti pot and use a store-bought or homemade solution to irrigate your nostrils. This home remedy can temporarily clear out mucus, but it is a hassle to use it on a regular basis and not recommended long term.
Mouth Taping
What the heck is mouth taping? I plan on doing a more detailed Instagram post about it, but for now I will just give you the basics. Mouth taping is just that…taping your mouth while you sleep. This makes it so that you are forced to breathe through your nasal passages and no mouth breathing is done while sleeping. It increases the amount of nitric oxide circulating in your blood, which has a range of benefits (including allergies!).
Of course, you should always tell your doctor any symptoms you are having (as they could be more serious than allergies) and always check with your doctor first before starting a home remedy treatment.
