Even though we know it happens every year, it seems like allergy season sneaks up on us. We go from enjoying a day outdoors to sneezing so much we get annoyed with our noses.
Then, just when we least expect it, we start to feel tiredness, and brain fog hits us like a ton of bricks. So, is the brain fog and exhaustion from our allergies, or is it just a coincidence?
That’s what we want to discuss today.
Our goal with this blog post is to define allergies, their signs and symptoms, and ways to avoid them. If avoidance isn’t possible, we also want to go over ways to help soothe your symptoms. Finally, we will be answering the question of whether or not allergies have the power to make you tired — and what to do about it.
What Are Seasonal Allergies?
First things first, let’s define allergies. As a working definition, allergies are immune responses to environmental triggers. This type of reaction happens with food or when there’s a high pollen count, and we can also suffer from allergies due to pets and other triggers.
With allergies, a foreign invader (dander, pollen, etc.) comes into contact with your body, and your immune system mistakes it for a dangerous object. Your body then works to create antibodies against this substance for the next time you’re exposed to it. This is the immune response that allergy sufferers experience.
At this point, you have a chemical reaction, known as histamine, that is ready and waiting the next time you come into contact with this invading agent.
Allergy Symptoms
The symptoms of your allergies can vary depending on the type of allergen. Unfortunately, they can be pretty broad. Many symptoms can be confused with other issues, so don't ignore them; you always want to make sure allergies are causing your symptoms and not something else.
For seasonal or environmental allergies, the most common symptoms are:
- Sneezing
- Runny nose (commonly referred to as rhinitis)
- Blocked sinuses (commonly known as sinusitis)
- Coughing
- Asthma-like symptoms
- Wheezing
- Itchy eyes
- Watery eyes
For food allergies, the most common symptoms are:
- Upset stomach
- Vomiting
- Hives
- Rashes
- Anaphylaxis
For allergies associated with animals, the common symptoms are:
- Rashes
- Hives
- Runny nose
- Congestion
- Sneezing
- Raspy voice
These symptoms are considered reactions to the various things you are allergic to. Any or all of these symptoms can be present when dealing with allergies.
Most Common Allergy Triggers
There are a variety of substances and materials that can cause allergic reactions. Some common allergens are:
- Peanuts
- Soy
- Bees
- Pollen/Grass
- Cat dander
- Dog dander
- Latex
- Anesthesia medications
- Penicillin
- Egg
- Dust Mites
- Pet Dander
If you start experiencing certain symptoms, visit your doctor. Many of these allergens can cause severe side effects, so you’ll want to identify the issue quickly.
Allergy Signs
While some allergy symptoms are seasonal and only require minimal intervention, others can be a little harder to get over. You might think it’s a drawn-out cold or flu, but if you notice yourself wheezing, you must speak to a healthcare provider.
Can Allergies Make You Feel More Tired?
Let’s say you’ve been experiencing increased allergy symptoms this year since the weather changed. You’ve also noticed you’ve been more tired lately after a day of work or running errands. Are your allergies that are causing this increased exhaustion?
The short answer is maybe.
Allergies can lead to an increase in feelings of exhaustion. You might not immediately make this connection — most people don’t — but the straight answer is that your suffering from allergy symptoms can most definitely lead to feelings of exhaustion and fatigue.
Allergy Fatigue
You might not realize how much your allergy symptoms take out of you, but they require a lot more energy than you notice. That’s why you may feel some drowsiness on the path to allergy relief.
What you’re not seeing is that when you suffer from a runny or stuffy nose, you can’t breathe as freely and clearly as usual. This impedes the sound sleep we all need at night.
You may not realize what’s happening because you are still getting sleep, but with the reduction in the quality of sleep you’re getting, you won’t feel as rested when you wake up the next day. Between that and the effort it takes to blow your nose, cough, and sneeze, you’re basically set up to feel worn out.
Possible Ways To Remedy the Situation
Antihistamines are a big help in this area and can be added to your daily routine to keep your nose and sinuses clear of excess mucus. You can also use essential oils to help keep your nose clear and breathe deep all day.
Oils like eucalyptus and peppermint work to clear the sinuses of mucus and help you breathe easier. They also help to block receptors in the brain that trigger these symptoms in the first place. This means you can keep clear from the onset of allergy season and stay that way.
Ruling Out Other Causes
Even if you have identified that you do, in fact, suffer from allergies, there could be other issues at play. Ailments like anemia, anxiety, or sleep disorders can also add to the fatigue you’ve been feeling lately.
Anxiety and sleep disorders like sleep apnea will disrupt your deep sleep at night and leave you feeling tired the next day. Anemia is a blood disorder in which your body lacks iron. Your body needs this iron supply to keep you energized from sun up to sun down. Even with a good night’s rest, these conditions can make it hard to feel your best.
If you are feeling extreme fatigue, even after getting allergy symptoms in check, it may be time to talk with your medical provider.
How Do You Reduce Allergy Fatigue?
In order to beat the exhaustion from allergies, you need to avoid or treat the allergy.
Let’s discuss a few ways to do that next.
Identify the Allergen
In order to soothe the allergy, you have to know what it is.
Start with tracking your behavior over the next few days. This will help you identify the time of day that your allergy symptoms are triggered, and you can keep track of what you’re doing.
If your symptoms arise during a meal, examine what you’re eating and figure out what ingredient every meal has in common. Then, avoid that ingredient for a few days. Don’t eliminate any other ingredients right now; otherwise, you might get what you’re actually allergic to mixed up with something else.
For a specific diagnosis, get an allergy test from your healthcare provider.
Limit Exposure
Once you figure out what it is that’s causing your symptoms, avoid it.
If the symptoms aren’t too severe, you may not have to cut something out entirely, but avoiding contact with your allergen can help relieve some symptoms. If you find yourself allergic to your family pet, this can be difficult, but there are still ways to manage the symptoms.
Allergy Shots & OTC Medications
Maybe you can’t entirely avoid something and need help managing symptoms. If you’re allergic to cats, but your kids have a cat, and you’re not willing to rehome your pet, you may need to look into medications.
OTC (over-the-counter) allergy medicines may need to be added to your daily routine to avoid being stuffed up all day. These include Benadryl, Zyrtec, and more. In addition to over-the-counter medications, you may want to get immunotherapy treatments (allergy shots) monthly to help alleviate your allergy symptoms.
Keep Your Patches on Hand
Essential oils have been used for hundreds of years to soothe many issues; thankfully, allergy symptoms are one of them.
Using essential oils to help manage allergy symptoms, you’ll need to tap straight into your olfactory senses. The fastest way to do that is to keep smelling them consistently over a long period. Luckily, they smell really, really nice.
That’s why we created AllergyPatch. It’s a blend of all-natural essential oils that come in sticker form. They go on clothes, not on the skin, and are safe for kids and adults.
The best part? There are enough essential oils in each patch to last up to eight hours, so you can get the relief that lasts.
Maintain a Steady Regimen
Once you find something that works, stick with it.
This may mean you are using our patches alongside allergy medications or a monthly allergy shot, but whatever works, keep it going.
Relief isn’t always easy to come by, so when you find a system that works for you, don’t let it go.
Relief That Lasts
Whatever you decide is the best course of action, we are confident that the information presented here will help you get relief that lasts. We hate seeing our kids tired from situations we can’t control, but providing relief quickly is important for them and us.
For us, our kids do enough to drain our energy supplies, so don’t let allergies weigh you down as well.
Knowing that allergies can weigh you down and get you tired long before your day is over, it’s important that you take steps to stop those symptoms in their tracks. Here at The Natural Patch Co., we are proud to create products that utilize all-natural ingredients.
We know that essential oils are effective at mitigating the symptoms of allergies, and we are proud to feature them in our patches. With all the products on the market that contain chemicals and ingredients with names we can’t pronounce, we are so happy to provide an option that’s easy to use and understand.
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