Treatments And Management Of Dizziness
If you feel dizzy, the first thing you should do is sit or lie down somewhere safe.
If you are not taking allergy medication or managing your allergies in other ways, you may find relief from allergy symptoms, including dizziness, from some of these common allergy treatments. See an allergist for help deciding which one is right for you.
How To Treat Fatigue Caused By Allergies
If allergies are truly the source of your fatigue, treating the allergies is the best way to treat the fatigue. An ENT specialist or allergist can help you determine or confirm the root cause of your issues. After conducting an allergy test in the office or at home to diagnose your allergies, consider which allergy treatment option may work best to treat your fatigue and eliminate other symptoms.
Why Do People Miss The Connection Between Allergies And Vertigo
Vertigo is a symptom of many vestibular disorders, such as vestibular neuritis, as well as potential neurological issues. Because it feels frightening and often indicates a larger medical problem, patients may not always connect the dots between their existing allergies and their vertigo. If you have unexplained vertigo and also suffer from seasonal allergies, pursue the connection by contacting your doctor.
How Can I Treat Allergy-Related Vertigo?
The good news is that allergy-related vertigo will respond to typical allergy treatments. The first step is to identify what specific allergens are causing the reaction. Once a patient has a confirmed diagnosis, it is much easier to identify effective treatments for the symptoms caused. Over-the-counter allergy medications and nasal steroid sprays, as well as daily saline rinses, will bring some immediate relief. It may take a patient some trial and error to find the combination that works for them.
Long-term relief will come from successfully treating the allergies themselves. There are a number of options for patients, including allergy shots and sinus reconstruction surgery. Patients can also take steps to reduce their exposure to allergens, such as installing air filters in their home and sweeping more frequently.
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What Can You Do
Address diet certain foods such as smoked meats, walnuts, cashew nuts, milk-based products and foods with artificial colourings are high in histamine so these are best avoided when suffering from allergic rhinitis. However, there are foods low in histamine that you can eat instead such as fresh fruit, vegetables and meat, as well as herbal teas.
Try Echinacea – the immune system has to work extra hard when suffering from allergic rhinitis in order to fight off allergens. This puts it under a great deal of strain so any extra assistance you can give it could be beneficial. Echinafoce Echinacea Drops are ideal for this as they are made from fresh Echinacea in order to fully support the immune system.
Try nettle tea this is a natural antihistamine so it should help you deal with the symptoms that come about as a result of this chemical. Such symptoms include inflammation and, therefore, dizziness too.
Up your vitamin C intake vitamin C is a natural antihistamine and is great for the immune system too. This means its a great addition to your diet when youre suffering from allergic rhinitis. You can obtain vitamin C from citrus fruits like oranges, but dont forget that strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes and leafy greens also contain vitamin C.
How To Tackle Allergy Fatigue
To fight allergy fatigue, individuals need to remove allergens wherever possible. Dust, pollen, and even pet hair can cause symptoms like breathing issues at night. A bed should be covered throughout the day by a mattress encasement and pillow covers. Likewise, a person should vacuum their homes floors often and keep windows closed. An air purifier that removes allergens can make sense for certain households.
Allergy sufferers can take steps to protect their own body, too. For instance, allergy medications can be purchased over the counter at drug stores. Antihistamines and decongestants are popular options to fight back against allergy symptoms. Individuals can take a nightly bath or shower before bed. In doing so, they wash away allergens and particles on their skin and hair.
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Why Do Allergies Make Us Tired
In the United States, allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness. Allergens can exist both indoors and outdoors, and it can be a challenge to limit your exposure to them. When it comes to indoor and outdoor allergies, there are a few common culprits that can cause seasonal or recurring allergic reactions such as sinus swelling, nasal congestion or a runny nose, watery eyes, and tiredness. The most common triggers include dust mites, mold, pollen, and pet danderâall of which may cause fatigue.
Other Common Causes Of Dizziness
There are many conditions that cause dizziness. Ear infections are a common, usually harmless cause. However, other conditions can be a major problem. These are things like heart disease, anemia, and low blood pressure. Low blood sugar can also cause dizziness. Lastly, mental health symptoms can cause dizziness. Anxiety and panic attacks are both common culprits.
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What If Your Dizziness Is Caused By Something Else
If a steroid nasal spray doesnt work, I encourage patients to follow up appropriately with their primary care physician or the doctor who referred them just to make sure were not missing something else, Dr. Aronica notes.
A number of other conditions can cause dizziness and vertigo, so if your allergies arent the culprit, you may need to see a neurologist or an otolaryngologist to figure out whats going on.
Common Causes Of Allergy
Pollen
When you feel dizzy after being around certain pollens, you may be allergic. Pollen allergies will cause your immune system to release chemicals that fight off the allergen. This can cause a buildup of mucus in the upper respiratory tract and ears, which can make you feel dizzy. Other symptoms include: itchy throat, stuffy head, and watery eyes.
Food
A food allergen can also cause you to feel dizzy. When your body tries to get rid of the offending substance, it mobilizes all kinds of chemicals due to an immune system response. If you dont have pollen allergies but feel dizzy, you may be suffering from food intolerance. This is common with gluten, dairy and other food additives.
You may notice allergy symptoms within minutes of eating certain foods, but it can also happen a few hours or days later. Most food allergies show up within the first 30 minutes of eating a certain kind of food. You may not even notice that you have a food allergy if it is mild. With that said, a food allergy may have dizziness as its only symptom and you may not even know it was cause by something you ate. Allergy testing may reveal the cause as a food allergy.
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Avoid Common Allergy Triggers
Once you know what youre allergic to, you can work to avoid certain environmental allergens. There are many ways to avoid or reduce your exposure to allergens.
- Vacuum often and keep your house clean. Regularly wipe down hard surfaces, vacuum carpets, and wash linens and clothes to remove common allergens like pet dander and dust mites. Change your air filter regularly, and consider investing in an air purifier.
- Control indoor mold. Mold grows in damp, humid environments. Keep humidity levels below 50% in your home, and use cleaners designed to eliminate mold in the bathroom, laundry room, and other damp areas.
- Dont dry clothes outside. Hanging clothes and linens up outside attract airborne pollens and molds. After washing, dry clothes and linens immediately in a dryer.
- Wear gloves while you garden and a mask while you mow the lawn. Gardening and lawn mowing can expose you to many different mold spores, pollens, and weeds. Wearing gloves and a breathable mask can help reduce your exposure to these allergens.
- Stop smoking. Smoke is a very common allergy and asthma trigger. Stopping smoking or reducing your exposure to secondhand smoke can help improve your symptoms.
- Keep windows closed. Keeping windows closed can help reduce the number of outdoor allergens that get inside your home.
How To Avoid Vertigo During Allergy Season
The best way to evade springtime dizziness is to limit your exposure to allergens. Avoid spending a lot of time outdoors when pollen counts are high, and keep your windows closed.
Kick off your shoes, take a shower soon after being outside, and wash your clothes frequently to reduce the spread of pollen into your home.
Elliott also says that you might even want to change your hairstyle to avoid allergens.
Dont use hairspray pollen will stick to your hair. And wear glasses instead of contact lenses, which pollen can stick to, said Elliott.
If you start to experience allergy symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor right away. They may recommend a nasal steroid spray to bring down the swelling in your sinuses and an antihistamine to ease some of your symptoms. Allergy shots may also help people with chronic allergies to find long-term relief.
I cant stress enough the importance of taking your allergy symptoms seriously the first time you notice them, said Elliott. Most people will suffer through it and think that allergies are a lifestyle disease with no complications, but when your immune system on overdrive for a month, it increases your risk of infection, disease, and vertigo. There are downstream consequences to avoiding treatment.
Not to mention that spring is much more enjoyable when you dont feel like the ground is spinning under your feet.
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Reduce Quick Head Movements
Especially when dizziness is a primary symptom, do not stand up quickly or spin around. Notice how you may feel sicker when cleaning or cooking, activities which have a surprising amount of quick stooping and getting up.
If you do have to be very active, take breaks. Applying a cool compress to the back of the head often helps nausea and feelings of dizziness.
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Is Dizziness A Symptom Of Allergies
Dizziness can be a symptom of nasal, or respiratory, allergies . You get nasal allergies when your immune system mistakes certain airborne substances for a foreign substance. In response to the allergens, your body releases histamines. Histamines help your body get rid of harmful substances. In addition to dizziness, they often cause sneezing, increased mucus production, and wheezing.
The two main causes of dizziness due to airborne allergens are:
- Inflammation of the lining of the eustachian tube, also called the auditory tube
- Oral anthistamines
The auditory tube normally equalizes the pressure in the middle ear. When it’s blocked by inflammation, pressure builds up. This is what makes your ears feel plugged. Sometimes, this can result in dizziness or balance problems.
Allergy medications containing antihistamines, such as Zyrtec or Benadryl may cause dizziness as a side effect. They can also make you feel lightheaded.
What If I Forget To Take It
Take your forgotten dose as soon as you remember, unless it’s nearly time for your next dose. In this case, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time.
Do not take 2 doses to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you forget to give a dose to a child who is taking cetirizine twice a day, you can give the missed dose if it’s within 4 hours of when they should have had it.
If you remember more than 4 hours after, do not give the missed dose. Instead, wait until the next dose and carry on as normal.
If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.
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Can You Tell Us About The American Lung Associations Mission
The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. Our work is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer champion clean air for all improve the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families and create a tobacco-free future. Whether its searching for cures to lung diseases, keeping kids off tobacco, or advocating for laws that protect the air we breathe, the work of the American Lung Association helps to save lives every day.
When Allergies Are A Problem
If your allergies are particularly severe, you are dependent on allergy medication or your symptoms are getting worse then you should see your doctor to rule out other conditions.
I specialize in chronic, complex conditions using non-pharmaceutical, scientifically backed techniques to achieve lasting health.
There are ways to address underlying chronic conditions and inflammation so that your reactions to environmental allergies are not as severe.
If you would like to speak to me to ask questions about functional medicine, allergies or how I can help you, please schedule a Free 15 Minute Consultation or call or text my office at 913-728-5291.
My clinic offers functional medicine appointments as well as manual chiropractic treatments. I do online consultations for those out-of-state or outside of the United States.
If you think that you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information. Nor should you ever delay seeking medical advice or treatment due to the information contained on this Website.
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Why Do Seasonal Allergies Make Us Tired
Seasonal allergies can do more than just cause a runny nose or coughwhen left untreated, they can lead to drowsiness and poor concentration, too.
Allergy fatigue is the result of your body working hard to fight off a foreign invader. Its similar to the way your body fights a virus like the common cold or the flu, which can also leave you feeling drained.
When you have an allergic response to something like dust, pollen, or pet dander, your body also releases proteins , which can cause inflammation in your nose. Chronic inflammation has been linked to fatigue and depression.
Allergies can also indirectly cause you to feel tired during the day by disrupting your sleep at night. Common allergy symptoms like coughing, sneezing, and congestion can make it hard to get a good nights rest, making it hard to stay focused the next day.
Treating seasonal allergy tiredness isnt always simple, either. Common medications like Benadryl often cause drowsiness as a side effect. Fortunately, there are ways to manage fatigue and stay alert during allergy season.
The Link Between Allergies Asthma And Dizziness
If your dizzy spells are seasonal, then environmental allergens may be in play. Pollen peaks in the spring and fall, so if your dizziness follows that pattern its could be allergy-related.
When a patient comes to me with dizziness, allergies are considered, says Jennifer Derebery, MD, a physician at the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles, California. We specifically want to know if there is a relationship to season, time of year, and association with other symptoms.
She notes that asthma is tied to allergens, so coexisting asthma with dizziness points to allergies as a source.
Even if your dizziness does not follow a seasonal pattern, it may still have an allergic link.
Sometimes you have allergies to perennial allergens that you may not even know, since your symptoms are year-round, says Dr. Chacko.
Year-round triggers could be pets, dust mites, molds, or other substances constantly around you which could be the source of your dizziness.
Regardless of the allergens, the inflammation created during an allergic reaction impacts all your body systems, says Dr. Derebery, who is a past president of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
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Limit Exposure To Allergens
Once youâve identified the cause of your allergy symptoms, itâs recommended you do your best to eliminate or reduce your exposure to the allergen whenever possible. If youâre suffering from an indoor allergy, there are several easy ways to allergy-proof your home.
For outdoor allergens like mold and pollen, monitoring the allergen count and limiting your time outside during allergy season or high-exposure days are great ways to prevent allergy symptoms and fatigue.
Why Cant I Just Catch Up On Sleep At Night
Its not that you cant sleep, its that allergies can cause both insomnia and very fragmented sleep, explains Dr. Kansagra, who serves as the director of Dukes Pediatric Neurology Sleep Medicine Program. The inability to fall asleep, or period waking, is due mainly to irritation and discomfort. Allergies may cause mucous buildup, and swelling and inflammation in the airway that can lead to sleep apnea, which is intermittent blockages in your airway while you sleep, said Dr. Kansagra. This leads to low quality of sleep.
Remember, when allergies are triggered, your body is waging war against the allergens.
A meta-analysis in the Public Library of Science looked at the association between allergic rhinitis and sleep. Researchers found that those with allergies reported higher incidents of nocturnal dysfunctions, including insomnia, restless sleep, sleep-disordered breathing, and snoring. The same research also found the nighttime issues led to daytime dysfunction, including difficulty waking up, daytime sleepiness, morning headache, and the use of sleep medications.
Even if you cant remember waking up from your allergy symptoms during the night, you probably did, says Dr. Haden. Even getting the recommended eight hours of sleep doesnt mean that those were eight quality hours of deep sleep, he adds.
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