Are your allergies causing you to lose sleep? If so, then you may find yourself suffering from a bad case of allergy fatigue. As the name implies, this is a form of extreme tiredness that can be linked back to your allergies─and all of the discomforts that go along with them.
The Allergy-Fatigue Connection
If you wonder exactly what the connection is between allergies and fatigue, it's a bit more complicated than you might think.
First, consider how your body responds to different allergy triggers. If your allergens cause your body to be in a heightened state of attack, this can be very draining. In addition, if you have nasal allergies, the sneezing, congestion and other symptoms can cause you to be uncomfortable at night and can make it difficult to fall asleep. A study included in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2006 confirmed that a high portion of people diagnosed with allergic rhinitis also experience sleep problems as a result of their discomfort. While this probably doesn't come as a surprise to you, the findings are important to help researchers determine what patients can do.
Other Allergy Fatigue Causes
It's also worth noting that when you have allergy-related asthma and you aren't breathing to your full capacity, this can further compound your very tired feeling. Food allergies can also be to blame for allergy fatigue. The reaction you get can cause stress on your body and can make it harder to relax and sleep.
Allergy Medications and Allergy Fatigue
In addition to your allergy symptoms causing fatigue, how you treat the problem can also affect your sleep quality. For instance, if you take antihistamines for allergy relief, they may help to feel better but can also cause extreme tiredness.
Further, some allergy sufferers take antihistamines before bed to help them sleep. While this may help initially, the medication often wears off during the night and can therefore result in interrupted sleep.
So any, or all, of these factors can cause or worsen your allergy fatigue and make it difficult for you to get those z's.
Ways to Relieve Allergy Fatigue
If you find yourself feeling especially tired during the day, you may want to note of your allergy symptoms to determine whether they could be keeping you up at night. You should also talk to your doctor about your medications to see if fatigue could be a side effect.
He may recommend natural ways to reduce histamines in your body, which can sometimes be helping in boosting your energy levels and reducing allergy fatigue.
You should also take a close look at your home and work environment for mold or other allergy triggers that could be bringing on your fatigue. Sometimes simply allergy proofing your bedroom can make a big difference.
Finally, consider looking into trying nasal steroids, which can help control your nasal allergy symptoms and can reduce related allergy fatigue. Some allergy sufferers also find that using nasal saline rinses can help to minimize symptoms so they can get some sleep.
Sources:
Archives of Internal Medicine
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/
Medline Plus/US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003088.htm
