More tired than usual? Could your allergies be to blame?

17th August 2022

More tired than usual? Could your allergies be to blame?

There’s a long list of symptoms we associate with allergies. From sneezing and a runny nose, to difficulty breathing and skin rashes, we all know the more common ones. But what about feeling more tired than usual? Could your drowsiness actually be another allergy symptom?

It’s easy to chalk tiredness down to a bad night’s sleep or stressful day. But there are many ways your allergies could be contributing. In fact, up to 57% of adults and 88% of children who experience hay fever suffer from sleep problems as a result. So today, we’re looking at three ways your allergies could be creating or worsening your tiredness.

Your body’s allergic response

When exposed to an allergen, your body’s immune response kicks into action. It shifts into overdrive, trying to fight off and destroy whatever it is you’re reacting to. In the process, it produces a chemical called histamine, which triggers inflammation.

But histamine can also lead to other symptoms, including itchiness, swelling, difficulty breathing, and – you guessed it – tiredness. Not to mention, the very act of your body trying to fight off a foreign substance can be tiring in and of itself. 

Disrupted sleep

There’s nothing worse than a bad night’s sleep. But when you’re dealing with persistent allergies, this can quickly become the new normal. Common allergy symptoms such as congestion, coughing, or sneezing can all prevent you from falling asleep – or lead to disrupted sleep once you drift off. 

You’ve probably also heard of sleep apnoea. This is a disorder that causes interrupted breathing throughout the night. If your allergies leave you congested, you’re more likely to breathe through your mouth. And this puts you at greater risk of sleep apnoea, which could lead to some very un-restful nights. 

Sinusitis

Frequent allergy sufferers are more likely to experience sinus problems like sinusitis, where the lining of your sinuses becomes aggravated and inflamed. And while many symptoms of allergies and sinusitis are the same, sinusitis has additional symptoms, such as face pain and swelling, fatigue, and headaches – all of which could leave you in need of a few extra naps. 

Sinusitis is also the reason some people associate allergies with brain fog. It reduces the amount of oxygen you take in, and combined with congestion and nasal pressure, it can result in decreased cognitive function and those pesky foggy feelings.

Feeling tired isn’t unusual for any of us. But if you’re a lot more drowsy than normal, it could be a sign you’re reacting to something, or that an existing allergy is getting worse. And if you think your allergy could be the culprit, it might be time to bring in some professional support. 

If you want help in identifying your allergens or minimising their reactions, we’d love to help. Our allergy experts can give you the advice you need to get a good night’s sleep. You can register as a new patient or call us on 02031 433 449.

The downsides of sleeping with a fan on when you have allergies

10th August 2022

The downsides of sleeping with a fan on when you have allergies

The UK broke its highest ever temperature record in July, leaving a lot of people fighting the heat. It led to some beautiful days in the sun, but some uncomfortable nights trying to get to sleep. One way people try to beat that nighttime heat is by keeping a fan on, spreading cool air through the room.

But people with allergies might have found this exacerbates their symptoms. What was supposed to be a cool night’s sleep turns into one filled with dry eyes, a dry throat, and a stuffy nose. Why does this happen? And what can you do to stop it?

The downsides of sleeping with a fan on

A fan’s whole purpose is to move air around a room to keep it cool. When there’s a lot of dust or pollen lying around, that is naturally going to get whipped up and moved around the room too. If you have an allergy to either of these, you’re basically going to get them thrown in your face by your fan, setting off a reaction. If you also have the window open, the fan may also pull in even more pollen from outside and circulate that through the room.

This is going to cause those telltale symptoms, such as a runny nose, watery eyes, and an itchy throat. More than that, fans can cause issues even without allergies. The cold air it pushes around can dry out your skin and eyes. And excessive dryness can trigger your body to produce more mucus, leading to congestion. Combine this with allergy symptoms, and you might wake up feeling worse than when you went to sleep.

How to prevent it

The simplest solution is to not sleep with a fan on, but that might make your night worse in other ways. So there are a few ways you can mitigate any issues. Number one is to keep the fan clean. The blades can quickly accumulate a lot of dust, so giving them a wipe daily can stop the build up.

Next, keep your fan at a distance. With how warm it can get, we know you’ll be tempted to have it right at your side. This is only going to send allergens directly at you. Keeping it further away means the allergens can be dispersed. Also, make sure your fan can rotate. This way, it isn’t pointing just at you and can evenly distribute the air. You might also want to invest in an air filter that’s rated specifically for allergies.

It might not solve all your problems, but it should allow you to have a good night’s sleep without feeling too many bad effects. As long as you keep your room clean – and potentially even keep the windows closed during the day – you should be fine. If you ever have any huge concerns, you can always talk to an allergy specialist for the best advice.

Don’t let your allergies bring you down and keep you up at night. Talk to one of our experts to help you live freely. You can register as a new patient here, or simply give up a call on 02031 433 449.

Allergies keeping you awake? Here’s what you can do to help

4th May 2022

Allergies keeping you awake? Here’s what you can do to help

There’s nothing worse than a bad night’s sleep. You wake up in the morning feeling tired, grumpy, and angry at yourself for not being able to get some shut-eye. For some people, when their allergies hit, this is just an inevitability. They know they’ll be up all night with a stuffy nose or persistent cough.

Only 17% of people with allergies rate their sleep as optimal. And about half of all people have been woken up by their allergies and struggle to get back to sleep. That’s not a good feeling for anyone. But what is it that’s causing this exactly? And what can you do to make it better?

Causes of bad sleep

If you’re struggling to get to sleep, it could be because the allergens are right under your nose. Literally. There are likely two main causes that might be leading to your reaction: dust mites and pollen. Both will hang onto your bedding, clothing, and carpet, leaving you breathing them in all night.

You can read more about dust mites here, but the short of it is they live in our fabrics. Their skin and excrement is what sets our allergies off, and it’s not uncommon to find them in your bed. Pollen – which we also talked about recently – is going to affect anyone with hay fever. This has a tendency to cling to clothes and can easily come in through an open window.

So how can you make your sleep a little better?

Up your cleaning routine

The simplest trick is to increase how often you clean your bedroom. Since pollen and dust mites hang around on bedding, get into the habit of cleaning these regularly. You might have to play around with the idea to learn how frequently this needs to be. Also, vacuum more often if you have carpets, and don’t forget your curtains too.

Cleaning also applies to you. If you’ve been outside, pollen could stick to your hair. Switching to a night-time shower or bath will let you get that off your body instead of transferring it to your pillow. Speaking of which, hypoallergenic pillows and bedding exist, so if it’s a real problem, this is something you could invest in.

Keep pets out of the bedroom

This might be a sad tip, but a necessary one. Pets can just as easily get pollen caught in their fur. And just like with hair, this can be dispersed across your bedroom. Try a few nights of keeping them out of the room and see if that makes it better.

If you can’t bear the thought of sleeping without them, wash them more regularly too. Make sure to give them baths or, failing that, rub them down with a clean towel daily.

Don’t sleep with the windows open

As we get towards summer, this is going to be a hard pill to swallow. Nights are going to get hotter and humid. But by keeping your windows open, you’re just inviting pollen in. Really, you don’t want to open them at all throughout the day.

If this sounds like an unbearable idea, consider investing in an air purifier. This will extract allergens from the air, which will hopefully help you sleep a bit easier at night.

And those are our tips! We know a bad night’s sleep can have devastating effects on the next day. You shouldn’t have to put up with that. Hopefully our advice lets you catch a few more Zs. If not, talk to your doctor about allergy medication. Something like a nasal spray might work wonders. Whatever you can do to help you sleep peacefully is worth it.

Struggling to sleep at night because of your allergies? Talk to one of our specialists about it. We’re always here to listen to you and offer our advice. You can register as a new patient, or simply call us on 02031 433 449.