2019-04-01 Women's Health

APRIL 2019

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74 / WOMEN’S HEALTH

Headaches, red eyes, drippy nose? Yep,

blame allergies. But—surprise! Other weird

stuff happening in your body could also be

caused by swirling pollen particles. “I see

people all the time who have symptoms

they don’t know are allergy-related,” says

Janna Tuck, MD, of the American College

of A llerg y, A sthma & Immunolog y.

Since the pollen season is lengthening

and intensifying due to warmer temps—

according to last fall’s federal report on

climate change—your suffering is likely to

be nastier and longer than ever before. You

can’t stop the impending pollen explosion,

but with these pro tips, you can prevent

shifty side effects from ruining your spring.

Do you get a tingly sensation after noshing certain fruits and veggies? If you’re a hay-

fever sufferer, you’re likely experiencing oral allergy syndrome. The gist: Your immune

system can’t distinguish between the pollen proteins found in outdoor plants and

similar ones in the contents of your produce drawer. So when you eat the offending

food, your nasal and throat passages get riled up, and run-of-the-mill seasonal

allerg y symptoms like sneezing can heighten too. (For an apples-to -zucchini list of

potentially ticklish fare, visit aaaai.org.)

YOUR PLAN Note when the itching occurs to ID any foods that might be triggering a

reaction, and then avoid them—at least in raw form. You may not have to give them up

entirely, as cooking destroys allergen proteins. And sometimes you can prevent the

itch just by removing the peel, where irritating proteins tend to concentrate.

When you breathe in pollen, your

body releases chemicals that can

trigger inflammation. That alone

can wear you out. But these inflam-

matory mediators also pump up

the production of mucus, causing

congestion that impairs breathing

and stifles sleep, says Andrew

Murphy, MD, an immunologist and

allergist based in West Chester,

Pennsylvania. In other words, a rest-

reducing double whammy.

YOUR PLAN Use an OTC cortico-

steroid nasal spray (such as

fluticasone or budesonide) to ease

inflammation. If you pop an antihis-

tamine instead, pick a nondrowsy

formula, or you may feel daytime

doziness, even if you take it at night.

“You’ll think you feel fine the next

day, but your brain is still not at full

power,” says Dr. Murphy.

ITCHY EARS, MOUTH, OR THROAT

FATIGUE