How Seasonal Allergies Affect Your Mood and Energy Levels

If you’re plagued by seasonal allergies, you’re familiar with symptoms like sneezing and eye-watering; but, the lesser-known symptoms can be more concerning. Allergies have a significant impact on your body’s energy levels and your mental health, which is why effective allergy relief is vital to your well-being. Below is your guide to how allergies affect your mood and energy levels, as well as how to combat these symptoms.

What Are the Effects of Allergies?

Seasonal allergies commonly cause symptoms like sneezing, congestion, itchy or watery eyes, and sinus headaches. They can also cause lesser-known symptoms, such as the depletion of your energy levels and mental well-being.

Allergies occur when your immune system strains to fight off the pollen that’s perceived as a threat, which drains your energy. Your immune system also releases chemicals – called cytokines – during this process that further cause fatigue and worsen nasal congestion. The allergy symptoms can prevent you from getting restful sleep, which can further contribute to fatigue.

Severe allergies can impact your quality of life, leading to feelings of discontentment, frustration, and moodiness. They can also affect your brain chemistry itself. According to one 2008 study, allergens cause feelings of anxiety and aggression in allergy sufferers, leading to a heightened risk of depression, hostility, insomnia, and suicide during peak allergy season. Researchers believe this is at least partially due to the effects of the immune system’s cytokines on the prefrontal cortex.

What Can You Do to Combat Changes in Mood & Energy Loss?

If you haven’t already, have allergy testing done so you can develop a more effective allergy relief plan that targets your specific allergens. You should also consider seeing a holistic physician, as they’ll take a comprehensive approach to your seasonal allergies. Beyond in-office treatments, they’ll recommend relevant lifestyle changes. Changing your diet can improve your health in all areas, leading to less severe allergies, better moods, more energy, and a more positive outlook. 

If you can’t sleep because of your symptoms, try new ways to alleviate them, like using a neti pot before bedtime as well in the morning.  Avoid eating foods containing dairy, such as milk, ice cream, yogurt, etc., before going to bed as dairy is phlegm producing. Try taking a relaxing walk in the evening.  Do small things for yourself regularly to boost your mood. Contact a professional for assistance if you think you may have depression or anxiety.

Let the holistic team at St. Louis Allergy Relief Center in Chesterfield, MO, help you or your child overcome seasonal allergies. Treating patients of all ages, they offer alternative treatments to provide effective allergy relief without prescriptions, injections, or pain. With over 15 years’ experience, their team will work with your other medical providers to coordinate care, such as scheduling their non-invasive allergy testing for you.

Read their FAQ online to learn more, and call (314) 384-9304 to set up an appointment.  They also offer a free monthly informational workshop the first Thursday of every month at 5:45 pm in our Chesterfield office.  Their free monthly workshop provides the public with information on their unique approach to allergy treatments and includes an opportunity to meet with their patients for a question and answer session. If you are interested in attending one of their free monthly workshops, please call their office at 314-384-9304 to reserve your space.