How Changes in Weather Affect Allergy Symptoms

How Changes in Weather Affect Allergy Symptoms, Headaches, and Pain

 

Most people think they are having an allergic reaction when they experience allergy-like symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and in some cases, headaches. However, sometimes those symptoms are not an allergic reaction to something, but a sensitivity reaction to the weather. That’s right, changes in the weather, such as barometric pressure fluctuations, temperature changes, and even the change of seasons, can produce allergy-like symptoms including headaches, migraines, and body pain. Find out how in this article.

 

Am I Allergic to The Weather?

You might have noticed that when the weather suddenly changes, going from a sunny to a rainy or snowy day, you get congested or perhaps develop a headache or migraine or other body pain. If you have seasonal allergies you already know that each season brings specific allergens that can trigger symptoms, like sneezing, runny noses, and wheezing. Certain allergens thrive in certain weather conditions. For example, mold grows in the winter, hay fever is common in the summer, and pollen fills the spring and fall air.

 

Interestingly enough, the nature of weather within seasons can also affect how bad your allergic reactions will be. For example, wet winters enable trees and plants to produce more pollen, which then make pollen allergies in the spring and summer worse. Studies show that global warming and climate change are adversely affecting allergy and asthma levels. The dangerous combination of ozone pollution with rising pollen spore counts are also major sources for the dramatic increase in the number of allergy and asthma sufferers.

Learn more about seasonal allergies here A Quick Guide to Summer Allergy Symptoms

 

However, sometimes it is just the weather itself that gives us allergy-like symptoms. Changes in temperature and humidity can cause swelling within the sinus membranes of the nose and head, which in turn triggers sinus symptoms. These types of sinus symptoms are generally referred to as non-allergic rhinitis. In other words, you may not be having a true allergic reaction, even though it feels like one.  So no, you are not really allergic to the weather; you have just developed a sensitivity to the changes the weather produces in your body.

 

Understanding How Weather Can Affect Our Body

Why do changes in temperature, pressure, or other weather conditions, cause allergy symptoms and/or pain in some people?  The answer is due to inflammation in various body tissues affected by changes in weather.

 

To explain this, let’s look at a common example. When there is a weather change, such as a rainstorm or a humid day, many people notice they become congested or develop headaches or other pain. This is due to sensitive nerve endings, especially in the nasal passages but also in other areas of the body, overreacting to atmospheric pressure, leading to the swelling of blood vessels. This, in turn, leads to congestion, runny nose, postnasal drip and, for many people, headaches and migraines or even arthritis-like body pains.

 

Simply put, all changes in weather and temperature are accompanied by changes in barometric pressure. And, for some people, barometric pressure changes produce inflamed and swollen blood vessels.  This inflammatory syndrome can affect anyone when their immune system incorrectly reacts to barometric pressure change as if the pressure change were something harmful to the body.  When that happens, our immune system will try to protect us, and we experience that “protection” as symptoms.

 

Treatment for Weather Related Inflammation, Pain and Congestion

There is no cure for weather related inflammation, but there is hope as well as a way to control the symptoms. Unfortunately, immunotherapy, allergy shots, or over-the-counter allergy medications do not work, as patients do not have an allergy. You can’t avoid the weather, but some general measures to reduce your symptoms during weather changes can include:

• Avoid strong odors and smoke.
• Reduce house dust through regular cleaning and use of HEPA air filters.
• Homeopathic remedies may provide some relief if taken at the right time.
• Visit a holistic allergist trained in the treatment of weather-related disorders.

 

I hope this article has helped you understand the effects of weather on allergy-like symptoms. Perhaps we have even diagnosed your weather-related inflammation. Make sure you check with a holistic allergist, because if the symptoms and timing match, this might be what you are suffering from and the right holistic allergist can help.

 

If you suffer from allergies including weather related inflammation, congestion, or pain, and been unsuccessful with your treatments or are looking for something different contact St. Louis Allergy Relief Center.  St Louis Allergy Relief treats allergies and sensitivities, including weather related symptoms, holistically without the use of pain or pills.  We specialize in holistic, natural allergy treatments using Advanced Allergy Therapeutics (AAT). We provide you with a detailed treatment plan after completing a comprehensive assessment to determine any food or environmental stressors that may be triggering allergies or allergy-like symptoms. Visit our website stlouisallergyrelief.com to learn more or call us at 314-384-9304.

 

Sources

https://www.socalallergy.com/nonallergic-rhinitis-and-vasomotor-rhinitis

https://tivichealth.com/blog/change-weather-triggering-allergy-symptoms/

https://www.premierallergyohio.com/blog/can-you-be-allergic-to-the-weather

https://stlouisallergyrelief.com/summer-allergy-symptoms/