These Things Could Be Making Your Allergies Worse
The experts are saying this is one of the worst allergy seasons in decades because we had such a wet winter. There are things you may be doing that are making your allergies worse. Here are the facts from Prevention magazine:
- One thing that makes allergies worse? Stressful deadlines. An experiment was done by Ohio State University College of Medicine – and they found that allergy sufferers had more symptoms after they took an anxiety-inducing test. It seems stress hormones stimulate the production of blood proteins that cause allergic reactions. So what can you do if you’re under a lot of stress? Get enough sleep. Having a sleep deficit makes allergies and stress worse.
- Another thing that makes allergies worse? Having an extra glass of wine with dinner. Alcohol can raise the risk of allergy symptoms by 3% for every alcoholic beverage consumed each week. The reason? The bacteria and yeast in alcohol produce histamines – which are chemicals that cause allergy symptoms like a runny nose, and itchy or watery eyes. The fix is simple: Avoid alcohol when your allergy symptoms are acting up.
- One last thing that makes your allergies worse: Waiting too long to take your meds. Medications that block histamines work best before you’re even exposed to allergens. So if you know you get an attack when you’re around grass, take your pill a couple hours before your golf game. If you take a daily pill, take it before bed. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, nasal allergies get worse at night and peak in the morning. So the meds work better when taken at bedtime.
