Spring Allergy Symptoms
The winter is over. Cold and flu season is coming to a close. You make the mistake of tossing out your tissues and rejoice under the canopy of budding trees and colorful flowers. And then — achoo! It hits you: springtime allergies.
Though seasonal allergies aren’t contagious, they are a growing problem for the United States. Collecting data from allergists and ENT doctors, the ACAAI estimates that 50 million Americans suffer from allergies each year. Seasonal allergens are the most common cause, plaguing allergy sufferers from March through June. When plants disperse pollen, your immune system can mistake it as a danger and attack it with antibodies. This triggers a histamine release in the blood, causing one or more of the following spring allergy symptoms:
Eye Allergy Symptoms
Histamines are known for causing swelling and inflammation. Often, this can happen in your eyes, resulting in one of these symptoms:
Watery Eyes
Sometimes it’s a glassy feeling and other times it’s a full-on waterworks.
Itchy Eyes
Itchiness usually occurs in the corners and lower eye region. You will likely also experience redness and inflamed blood vessels.
Allergic Shiners
Congestion of small blood vessels will create a bruised-like appearance under the eyes. The skin will look bluish and puffy.
Sinus Allergy Symptoms
Sinus and upper respiratory allergy symptoms are often what people think of when they hear “spring allergies.” These seasonal allergy symptoms are also called allergic rhinitis or hay fever. They include:
Sneezing
When you breathe pollen in through the nose, your body’s natural defense to this invader is to dispel it with force. Sneezing is your body’s way of eliminating the enemy.
Congestion
As mentioned before, histamines can cause inflammation. And when pollen enters the nose, the allergic response is often to swell up the vessels in your sinuses. This can make you feel stuffy and cause pressure in your face.
Itchy, Runny Nose
Remember, your body is trying to eliminate the enemy. One of the ways it does this is to trap it with mucus. Excess mucus production will cause your nose to itch and run.
Sore Throat
As your body fights off pollen with mucus, it will probably start to drip into your throat. Postnasal drip will irritate your throat, making it sore or scratchy.
Lower Respiratory Allergy Symptoms
Your lower respiratory system involves your larynx, bronchial tubes, and lungs (to name a new). None of these parts are immune to the wrath of your seasonal allergies. Lower respiratory allergies can cause the following symptoms:
Coughing
As mucus drips into your throat, it could make its way into your lower respiratory tract. Your body will produce coughing to keep the mucus out of your lungs.
Asthma
If wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness occupancy the coughing, you could have asthma. Allergic reactions can trigger asthma attacks, resulting in inflammation of the airways.
Head Allergy Symptoms
Sinus dripping from spring allergies can also impact your head:
Headaches
It may feel like a dull ache in your head or a tightness in your face. A backup of sinus fluid can cause pressure, leading to sinus headaches.
Clogged Ears
Everything in your face is connected. If you experience congestion in your sinuses and head, you can feel it in your ears, too.
Skin Allergy Symptoms
When you encounter allergy symptoms on your skin, it’s often referred to as eczema. Though there are many different kinds of eczema with unique causes, there are two common types of allergy-induced eczema:
Contact Dermatitis
When your skin comes in direct contact with an allergen, it can produce a localized rash. This rash may be red, itchy, or bumpy.
Atopic Dermatitis
When the allergic skin reaction occurs on random parts throughout the body, it’s probably atopic dermatitis. This type of eczema is often more generalized and it’s harder to pinpoint the exact trigger. It’s common in babies and children but it also affects about 3% of adults.
Let Breathe Clear Manage Your Spring Allergy Symptoms
You can treat minor seasonal allergies with OTC antihistamines, nasals sprays, and nasal rinses. But it’s not uncommon for allergy sufferers to fail at managing their symptoms. At Breathe Clear Institute, we can help you identify your triggers and develop a plan to manage them. Though there’s no known cure for allergies, our doctors can help you tackle the symptoms. From allergy testing to allergy shots, Breathe Clear Institute will find an allergy treatment for you.