5 Seasonal Allergies Symptoms

January 6, 2024

Introduction

Allergies theories have a long history, commonly known as seasonal allergies, hay fever, or allergic rhinitis. The Phrase hay fever is not an accurate description, as early investigations in the 1800s thought allergies were due to the smell of new hay (Wiki). Allergy is technically the reaction between an antibody and an antigen, which can be from pollen, dust, mold, and inoculations of vaccines (NATGeo). The result is the breakage of mast cells which leads to mucus production, and swollen leaky arteries. There is an increase in seasonal allergies because it’s being recognized more with different symptoms. What are the common symptoms of allergies? How do you differentiate between allergies vs. the common cold? What about other upper respiratory infections like COVID-19?

1. Sneezing

Sneezing is an involuntary reflex, forced air convulsively from your lungs, which is coordinated by a series of muscle groups to expel the volume of air (Wiki). An irritant typically crosses the nasal hairs into the nasal cavity to induce the sneeze reflex. You may find the sneezing reflex interesting, but more importantly, you wonder if it’s due to an irritant or an infectious agent. Sneezing itself may not be of concern since simple sunlight can induce it, but other symptoms associated with sneezing may suggest otherwise. Repeated sneezing episodes should prompt the following questions.

Do you have itchy eyes, runny nose, and congestion, but lack cold-like symptoms? More likely allergies.
Have you noticed more swelling around your eyes? Purplish discoloration? More likely allergies.
Did you get a new dog? Possibly dog allergies.
Did you travel to a new area? Exposure to new allergens
Seasonal changes where you are located?
Are you seeing a pattern around the same time of year?
Have you been sneezing for more than two weeks?
Have you had unexplained sinus pressure?

Commonly repeated sneezing with itchy eyes, itchy nose, congestion, drainage, swelling, and purple discoloration around the eyes are typical signs of seasonal allergies. When generalized symptoms of fever, aches, and chills accompany sneezing, it’s more likely due to a viral upper respiratory infection. However, the common cold causes sneezing without any generalized symptoms, so this begs the question, what causes the common cold, and how do you define it (Mayo Clinic)?

2. Sore throat

If you have a sore throat, you may think of an infection first, but not all sore throats are due to infections. Persistent sore throat without other associated symptoms is often related to drainage from allergies. Helpful questions to ask with the onset of a sore throat.

Do you have drainage but without any other symptoms of allergies? It may still be allergies.
Are you not feeling any drainage? Silent drainage from sinuses occurs and can manifest as a sore throat.
A cough that’s not productive?
Are you constantly clearing your throat?
Trouble swallowing? Please seek urgent medical attention

Not all sore throats are created equal, and without a fever, it’s much less likely infectious, but rather, functional acid reflux or sinus drainage. If you are getting a lot of drainage and a sore throat around a particular part of the year, it’s likely environmental. Although you may not think of allergies first when you have a sore throat, a persistent one should raise the suspicion drainage is from allergies, even without other allergy symptoms.

3. Cough

Can you get an annoying cough just from an allergen? Absolutely. The mechanism is silent or palpable drainage. Silent drainage can cause sore throats and a continued tickling cough. Here are a few questions to ask with the onset of a cough.

Do you have a dry, tickling, and irritating cough?
Are you experiencing voice changes?
Are you constantly clearing your throat?
Are you constantly feeling something in your throat?
Do you have a Sore throat?
Do you have acid reflux symptoms?
If you have any of these symptoms, have they been occurring for more than 2 weeks?
Shortness of breath or chest tightness? Please seek urgent medical attention.

While a cough may be due to many other causes, a persistent cough without other symptoms could be due to silent drainage. An inexpensive trial is to use antihistamines to see if the cough stops. A cough can also be due to asthma, a hyperactive airway issue. Similarly, seasonal allergy symptoms are caused by hyperactive sinuses. If you have asthma, you most likely have allergies, although not everyone with allergies has asthma; according to the Asthma Allergy Network, 85% of asthmatics have allergies.

Related article: 5 Common Causes of Cough

4. Flushing

Flushing is due to the active dilation of the blood vessels, which involves the blood vessels coming to the surface of your skin, and it also causes a drop in blood pressure and can make you feel woozy. If you have persistent flushing episodes without fever or chills, it calls for the following questions.

Are you having allergy symptoms including sneezing, runny nose, and itchy watery eyes?
Are you having palpable drainage that’s inducing a cough?
Do you have a sore throat but no other symptoms?
Are you feeling lightheaded/dizzy or “woozy”?
Have you had the flushing symptoms on and off the past few weeks?
Are you a female in menopause? Less likely allergies

Can allergies cause fever? Technically, no, but that depends on how you define fever, which is between 37.2 and 38.3 °C (99.0 and 100.9 °F) in humans (Wiki). You may also think that only females in menopause get hot flashes, thus flushing, but the mechanism of vasodilation can occur for many reasons, including fever and allergies. The result is due to the histamine response causing vasodilation, thus a flushed feeling. Histamine causes inflammatory markers to cause vessels to dilate, so yes, allergies can make you feel flushed. If you feel flushed recurrently without fevers and have other allergy symptoms, it’s less likely an infection but rather an allergic response.

5. Sinus pressure

Sinus pressure can occur with many causes, and allergy is one of the main reasons. Many allergens are present in the environment, which are not just limited to pollen but also mold, which has 5 million variants. Persistent sinus pressure warrants the following questions.

Are you feeling dizziness with head pressure, but no fever?
Are you having facial pressure but no nasal discharge?
Are you feeling tired, even though you slept well?
Are you having frontal headaches, frequently?
Do you have a ringing sensation in the ears?
Are you noticing swelling around your eyes a lot?
Have you noticed purplish discoloration around the eyes?
Do you also have drainage, cough, or sore throat? Without fevers?
Do these symptoms occur regularly during seasonal changes?

Sinusitis, or sinus inflammation, has many causes. Environmental allergens are contributors to sinusitis. If you have a fever above 100.4°F (38°C), consider viral infection a possible cause. Without fevers, body aches, or chills, it’s much more likely environmental pathogens inducing the symptoms.

Conclusion

Allergy symptoms are not just limited to sneezing and runny nose; subtle symptoms with a seasonal variation can be due to allergies. If you have unexplained sinus symptoms lasting more than two weeks without symptoms suggestive of an upper respiratory infection, seasonal allergies should suspected as the prevalence is increasing (NCBI). Furthermore, asthma is a comorbid (concurrent) condition that should be on the suspect list if you have a prolonged cough during seasonal changes. Both seasonal allergies and asthma have similar mechanisms via a hyperactive airway, where your immune system is sensitized to environmental allergens and overreacts, and this causes inflammation and drainage, which leads to symptoms such as congestion, sinus pressure, cough, etc.

Bonus: Decongestants, why you should avoid it

Can decongestants make you drain more and have more congestion? Yes. The mechanism is more open airway by compressing the arteries lining the airway, thus allowing more space for drainage and more stomach upsets. Decongestants also cause rebound congestion, with elevated heart rate and blood pressure to a dangerous level. The difference between a vein and an artery is the amount of smooth muscle they are made of. Arteries have three layers of smooth muscle, and veins only have one. Veins are more elastic and compliant. Arteries are not very compressible. If you forcibly squeeze arteries by using decongestants, rebound congestion ensues. Bottles of nasal decongestants, such as Afrin (oxymetazoline), and others like phenylephrine in cold remedies, it’s best to avoid it.

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Related article: 5 Seasonal Allergy Treatments