Sniffles, Sneezes, and Itches
Allergies affect over 50 million people in the United States each year. If you deal with sneezing, wheezing, hives, or itchy eyes and wonder if you may have an allergy, you likely want to know more about this common health condition. This guide covers all the key things you should understand about allergies.
What Are Allergies?
An allergy refers to an overreaction of your immune system to a normally harmless substance called an allergen. Your body mistakes the allergen as harmful and releases chemicals like histamine to defend against it. This causes allergy symptoms.
Many different allergens can trigger an allergic reaction:
- Pollen
- Mold
- Pet dander
- Dust mites
- Certain foods like peanuts or shellfish
- Insect stings from bees, wasps, etc.
- Latex
- Medications like penicillin
So in essence, an allergy develops when your immune system overreacts to an allergen that shouldn’t cause any issues in most people. The substances themselves are not necessarily harmful – it’s your body’s response that causes discomfort.
Common Allergy Symptoms
Allergy symptoms can affect multiple areas of the body and vary between mild annoyances to severe reactions. Some of the most frequent allergy symptoms you may experience include:
Eyes
- Itchy, red, swollen, or watery eyes
- Dark areas under the eyes
Nose
- Sneezing
- Congestion and runny nose
- Postnasal drip down the throat
- Itchy nose
Lungs
- Cough (often worse at night time)
- Wheezing and shortness of breath
- Tight feeling in chest
Skin
- Hives – red, swollen areas that look like insect bites
- Eczema – dry, itchy patches of skin
- Redness and swelling around lips, eyes, or face
- Itchy mouth or ear canals
Digestive System
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Diarrhea
Other
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Anxiety
Keep in mind you may not get every single symptom. The location and severity depends on the type of allergen and individual.
If you come into contact with an allergen and experience a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis, that requires immediate emergency care. We’ll go over more details on this later.
What Causes Allergies?
To understand what causes allergies, it helps to first understand a bit about your immune system. Its job is to defend your body against pathogens and foreign invaders that can cause infection or illness.
A properly functioning immune system can differentiate between harmless compounds and dangerous pathogens. But for those with allergies, the immune system mistakenly labels harmless allergens as a threat.
When a person with allergies comes into contact with an allergen, a few key things happen:
- IgE Antibodies – The immune system produces antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). These antibodies travel to cells that release chemicals causing an allergic response when IgE attaches to the allergen.
- Histamine Release – The interaction of IgE with allergens triggers certain cells to release histamine, which causes runny nose, watery eyes, hives, and other symptoms.
- Inflammatory Response – Chemicals like histamine dilate blood vessels and attract other immune cells to launch an inflammatory reaction. This swelling and inflammation generates common allergy symptoms.
In essence, your immune system mistakes harmless allergens as dangerous rather than recognizing them as safe compounds. Researchers don’t entirely understand why some people develop allergies while others don’t.
Main Allergy Categories
There are a few ways to categorize different types of allergies:
By Allergen Source
- Seasonal – Caused by pollen from trees, grasses, or weeds
- Perennial – Caused by allergens like dust mites, pet dander, or mold that affect you year-round
- Food – Caused by certain foods like milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, or shellfish
- Medication – Caused by antibiotics like penicillin or NSAID pain relievers like aspirin
- Latex – Caused by latex found in rubber gloves, condoms, etc.
- Insect stings – Caused by the venom released when a bee, wasp, hornet, or fire ant stings you
By Symptom Location
Doctors also classify allergies based on where your symptoms show up. Common examples include:
- Allergic rhinitis – Symptoms affect the nose
- Allergic conjunctivitis – Symptoms affect the eyes
- Asthma – Symptoms affect the lungs, causing coughing, wheezing, and trouble breathing
- Atopic dermatitis – Symptoms affect the skin like eczema or hives
- Food allergies – Symptoms affect the digestive tract
By Severity
Allergies may also be:
- Mild – Symptoms are merely annoying
- Moderate – Symptoms disrupt daily life
- Severe – Symptoms are system-wide or life-threatening
For example, a minor grass pollen allergy may cause mild symptoms like an occasional stuffy nose. In contrast, eating a food you are severely allergic to can cause system-wide hives, vomiting, trouble breathing, plummeting blood pressure, and even death if untreated. This severe, whole-body reaction is called anaphylaxis and requires an epinephrine injection and emergency care.
Common Allergy Triggers
Allergies arise when your immune systems overreacts to substances that shouldn’t cause any issues for most people. But what are these allergens that trigger symptoms in some unlucky folks? Here’s an overview of some of the most common culprits according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI):
Pollen
Tiny grains released by blooming plants allow them to reproduce. For those with sensitive immune systems, breathing in pollen from trees, grasses, or ragweed can kick off allergy symptoms.
Pollen allergies ebb and flow with the seasons. Tree pollens appear in spring, grass pollens peak in late spring and early summer, and ragweed pollens take over from summer to fall.
The mild weather, blooming plants, and outdoor fun of spring and summer aren’t so carefree if you sniffle through these allergy seasons each year.
Dust Mites
You can’t see these tiny insects with the naked eye, but dust mites share your bed, furniture, carpet, and other fabric-covered indoor spaces if humidity is over 50%.
As unpleasant as it sounds, dust mites feed on flakes of dead skin shed by people and pets. They thrive in mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture, curtains, carpets, and stuffed toys. Their tiny dry waste pellets also accumulate in these places and contain an allergy-triggering protein.
By disturbing and breathing in items loaded with dust mites and their droppings, you inhale their allergy-provoking proteins year-round. For sensitive folks, dust mite allergy is a never-ending battle.
Mold Spores
Like dust mites, mold spores are invisible to the naked eye. Mold grows on decaying organic matter when moisture levels rise over 40-60%. Bathroom and basements prone to dampness often harbor mold. But it also thrives on wet leaves, compost, wood piles, and rotting logs outdoors.
Inhaling airborne mold spores can trigger allergy symptoms like sinus congestion, runny nose, eye irritation, cough, wheezing, and trouble breathing. Those with asthma or compromised immunity may react worse than others.
If your home has extensive water damage or you rake leaf piles often, beware of mold allergies. Heavy rain, flooding, or snowmelt increasing moisture fuel seasonal mold spikes as well.
Pet Dander
Cats and dogs produce dander composed of microscopic flakes of dead skin just like humans do. Since pets groom themselves, these skin particles get incorporated into their saliva. As they lick their fur, the spit dries and released dander into the air and environment.
Pet dander particles are so tiny they easily become airborne when disturbed. Common culprits include petting, brushing, playing, moving around, or snuggling up to cats and dogs.
For pet lovers with dander allergies, their four-legged friends can make indoor air a miserable hazard.
Cockroaches & Mice
Proteins found in the saliva, droppings, or decomposing bodies of cockroaches and mice can also trigger allergic reactions. Children living in inner cities have high rates of allergy to these household pests.
For many city dwellers, roaches and mice come with the territory in apartments or aging homes. So do stuffy noses, rashes, and asthma flares thanks to allergens from these unwanted critters making sensitive residents miserable.
Allergy Testing
Since allergies arise from a hypersensitive immune system, specialized blood tests and skin prick tests can identify which allergens are the likely culprits behind your symptoms. This helps pinpoint which substances you should avoid.
Here’s an overview of common diagnostic testing methods that allergists use:
Blood Tests
A lab test analyzes a blood sample for IgE antibodies made by your immune system when exposed to specific allergens. Higher levels indicate greater sensitivity. This is the preferred method for predicting severe allergies to things like food or medication since doing a skin test for these could trigger a dangerous reaction.
Skin Prick Tests
During skin prick testing, a nurse or allergist places a small amount of purified allergen extract onto your arm or back. Gentle pricks let the sample penetrate just below the skin surface. If you are allergic to that substance, a raised itchy hive will emerge within 15-20 minutes.
These skin tests often check for immediate allergic reactions to common triggers like pollen, pet dander, molds, insect venoms, latex, and certain foods.
Patch Testing
Patch testing focuses on delayed allergic skin reactions to substances that contact your skin like cosmetics, jewelry, topical antibiotics, fragrances in skin products, hair dyes, etc. It can also check for latex or preservative allergies.
The nurse places adhesive patches loaded with suspected allergens on your back. You return in 48 and 72 hours to have reactions assessed. Note redness, swelling, small blisters, or itching at patch sites.
Allergy Treatments
Once you understand the allergens making you miserable, you can explore various medical treatments and home remedies for relief. Having an allergist guide treatment helps create an optimal plan based on your symptoms and test results.
Allergy Medications
Allergy medicines aim to relieve symptoms or reduce your sensitivity with continued use:
- Antihistamines – Block the symptom-causing effects of histamine released by your body during an allergic reaction. You likely know brand names like Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra and Benadryl.
- Decongestants – Constrict swollen nasal tissues that restrict airflow causing congestion. Often used for temporary symptom relief in allergy remedies.
- Nasal Corticosteroids – Reduce inflammation in your nasal passages caused by allergic reactions. Flonase, Rhinocort, Nasacort and Nasonex belong in this category.
- Leukotriene Inhibitors – Block symptom-triggering leukotrienes released during allergies and asthma. Singulair and Accolate fit this group.
- Immunotherapy – Over months to years, allergy shots give increasing doses of an allergen to help your body build up tolerance and reduce sensitivity.
Discuss options with your allergist to craft a plan tackling your unique symptoms. Adjust treatments until finding the most effective options with minimal side effects.
Allergy Drops Under Tongue (SLIT)
Similar to allergy shots, this technique places liquid extracts of your allergen under your tongue. Absorbing it into your oral tissues aims to help your immune system get used to it and reduce overreactions over time. Studies find it works well to lessen symptoms like:
- Itchy, watery eyes or nasal congestion from airborne allergens like pollen or pet dander
- Itching or tingling in mouth when eating certain raw fruits or vegetables if you have oral allergy syndrome (OAS)
SLIT comes with a lower risk of side effects compared to injections. It works best if taken daily but some use it just during peak allergy season. Ask your doctor if prescription sublingual drops could benefit you.
Nasal Sprays
Steroid nasal sprays like Flonase and Rhinocort greatly lessen inflammation in your nasal airways caused by an allergic reaction. Using them regularly during allergy season provides major relief from congestion, sneezing, runny noses and itching.
Saline nasal sprays also curb allergy woes. The saltwater rinses out pollen and irritants trapped your nasal passage ways reducing inflammation. Unlike medicated versions, you can buy saline sprays over the counter and use liberally.
Allergy Eye Drops
If airborne allergens constantly have your eyes red, watery and itchy, pat yourself dry. Allergy eye drops like Zaditor, Alaway, or Bepreve work wonders for itchy eyes. These over the counter options ease eye allergy symptoms rapidly but only provide temporary relief. If OTC brands aren’t cutting it, your allergist may suggest prescription steroid eye drops to calm allergic eye inflammation.
Butterbur Extract
This herbal supplement made from extracts of the Butterbur plant can tame allergy symptoms like sneezing, watery eyes, nasal congestion and sinus pressure. Researchers think Butterbur has antihistamine effects, making it useful against hayfever. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) recognizes butterbur as a helpful herbal remedy for nasal allergies.
Use only PA-free standardized butterbur extracts approved for medicinal use and talk with your doctor before taking it. Avoid using Butterbur if you have liver issues or take medications metabolized by the liver.
Quercetin
Quercetin belongs to a group of plant pigments called bioflavonoids that have anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties. Studies show quercetin supplements can improve allergy symptoms, especially when combined with vitamin C and Bromelain. Bromelain is an enzyme from pineapples.
Ask your healthcare provider about trying a quercetin complex to combat your seasonal allergy woes without drowsiness common with antihistamine pills. Those on certain medications should avoid quercetin so discuss it with your physician first.
Stinging Nettle
Stinging nettle is a traditional herbal remedy for seasonal allergies and hayfever. Extracts made from its leaves, stems, and roots seem to disrupt key allergic pathways in your body. Specifically, it blocks histamine receptors and other key players in your immune response to allergens. This curbs symptoms like itchy eyes, sneezing and runny nose.
Look for freeze-dried stinging nettle capsules in health food stores. Use only commercial products approved for medical use and brew nettle leaf tea at home. Again, check with your medical provider before using new herbs, especially if taking other medications.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a component of traditional Chinese medicine using ultra-thin needles lightly poked at specific points on your body to stimulate nerve endings. This aims to direct the flow of energy and blood said to govern well-being.
Review of many research studies found acupuncture can reduce sneezing, runny noses, congestion and medication use in people with seasonal or year-round allergies. It seems to regulate levels of IgE antibodies and inflammatory cells involved in allergic reactions.
Give this drug-free remedy a try if interested but avoid acupuncture if you have a bleeding disorder or pacemaker. See only certified, licensed acupuncturists to prevent potential harm from improper needle placement.
Allergy Prevention Tips
While you cannot completely avoid airborne allergens when you step outdoors, you can take several precautions to limit allergen exposure:
- Check daily pollen counts and limit time outside when tree, grass or ragweed counts are very high. Stay inside with windows shut, use A/C if possible.
- Limit outdoor activities early in the morning as pollen levels peak at that time.
- After spending time outdoors, rinse your nasal passages with a Neti pot or saline rinse and wash your face.
- Shower after extended periods outdoors to rinse pollen off skin and hair.
- Wear an N95 respirator mask rated for allergens when doing yardwork or other dust-stirring tasks.
- Ask someone else to mow your lawn or rake leaves which stirs up allergens.
- Keep windows shut at home and in vehicles when pollen counts are high. Use A/C if possible.
- Avoid line-drying clothing outdoors as pollen and molds will coat fabrics.
- Limit number of throw rugs to reduce dust mite and pet dander hiding spots
- Encase pillows and mattresses in allergen-proof or plastic covers and launder bedding weekly in hot water to decrease dust mites.
- Remove carpeting or area rugs which harbor dust and dander. Use wood, tile or vinyl flooring instead.
- Use a dehumidifier to keep indoor humidity below 50% where dust mites and mold thrive.
- Clean often to control dust build up. Damp mop tile or wood floors weekly.
- Vacuum carpets and fabric furniture weekly using a vacuum with a HEPA filter.
- Limit the number of stuffed toys in bedrooms as they collect dust and pet dander. Wash toys weekly.
- Consider an air purifier with a HEPA filter for bedrooms or family rooms.
- Bathe pets weekly and keep them out of bedrooms to reduce dander if allergic. Have someone without pet allergies brush or bathe them.
- Cover furnace and A/C vents with filters to trap allergens. Change monthly.
- Avoid leaf piles, compost piles, cut grass and woodpiles which harbor mold spores.
- Use exhaust fans vented outside in kitchens and bathrooms when cooking, showering, or cleaning to reduce indoor humidity. Let bathrooms fully dry after showering.
- Fix any water leaks rapidly to avoid mold growth.
- Clean out gutters and direct drainage away from homes. Ensure foundations have proper drainage.
- Learn which foods trigger your symptoms and avoid eating them.
- Ask about allergy shots (immunotherapy) which can greatly reduce environmental allergy symptoms long term.
- Consider moving to an area with lower year-round mold spore counts and pollen levels if your location is highly problematic. The ACAAI provides annual allergy capitol rankings.
While no special product or tip guarantees allergy prevention, making your home environment less hospitable to common triggers can make a real difference. Work with an allergist to pinpoint your allergen sensitivities then target your prevention efforts accordingly. Combining medical treatment with lifestyle adjustments offers the best defense against seasonal or chronic allergy misery.