Traditional allergy symptoms include a runny nose, a sore throat and itchy eyes, according to the National Institutes of Health. Most allergies remain mild, but you should pay close attention to nontraditional symptoms. Some of the latter reactions can become severe -- even dangerous. An August 2010 report in “Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica” revealed a correlation between allergies and suicide. Consult your doctor to ensure that allergic reactions don’t indicate a serious medical problem.
Difficulty Sleeping
Sleeping well each night helps keep you healthy. Allergies block your nasal passages and prevent you from breathing properly while asleep. These changes decrease sleep quality and increase daytime fatigue, according to an April-June 2011 review in the “Journal of Postgraduate Medicine.” Taking steroids might correct these problems. A study described in the March-April 2009 edition of “Allergy and Asthma Proceedings” tested this hypothesis in patients with seasonal allergies. Patients received fluticasone furoate each day for two weeks. Relative to placebo, steroid treatment improved nighttime sleep and daytime airflow. Fluticasone furoate did not cause any more side effects than placebo.
Difficulty Hearing
The congestion associated with allergies can affect your sensation and perception. A September 2011 report in the “Journal of Laryngology, Rhinology and Otology” showed that patients with allergies had hearing loss. They, for example, often had difficulty perceiving high-pitched tones. The mechanisms underlying these changes remain unknownm but allergic inflammation can affect the cells lining the inner ear. This swelling -- known as sinusitis -- can also reveal more serious conditions such as inner ear disease, according to an August 2011 article in “Auris Nasus Larynx.” Drugs such as batroxobin appear effective for allergy-related hearing loss.
Difficulty Smelling
Patients with allergies often have difficulty smelling as well. An April 1998 paper in “Pneumologie” indicated that most people lose their ability to detect odors while exposed to allergens. An inflammation of nasal cells caused this response. Allergic reactions to fungi remain a common cause of decreased odor detection. More than 80 percent of people with fungal allergies have some type of disease, according to a February 2009 report in “Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.” These diseases caused additional symptoms including elevations in biochemical markers for the immune system. Surgeries, steroids and rinses help restore a normal sense of smell in people with allergies.
Difficulty Seeing
Allergens might also affect your ability to see properly. A paper in the 2007 volume of the “Annales Academiae Medicae Stetinensis” described an unusual response to a hornet sting. A 14-year-old girl experienced visual problems for several months following the sting. Fungal allergies often cause eye displacement, according to a February 1999 report in the “American Journal of Ophthalmology.” This symptom can lead to visual loss. Removing the allergens, taking steroids and rinsing the sinuses can prevent eye damage in patients with allergic reactions to fungi.
References
- National Institutes of Health: Allergy Symptoms
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica; Seasonal Allergies and Suicidality; E. Messias et al.
- Journal of Postgraduate Medicine; Obstructive Sleep Apnea; N. Rajagopalan
- Allergy and Asthma Proceedings; Fluticasone Furoate Nasal Spray is More Effective Than Fexofenadine for Nighttime Symptoms of Seasonal Allergy; Charles P. Andrews et al.
- Journal of Laryngology, Rhinology and Otology; Audiological Manifestations of Allergic Rhinitis; Samiksha Singh et al.
- Auris Nasus Larynx; Diagnostic Criteria of Eosinophilic Otitis Media, A Newly Recognized Middle Ear Disease; Yukiko Lino et al.
- Pneumologie; Sense of Smell in Allergic Rhinitis; Ludger Klimek
- Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery; Presentation and Management of Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis; Q. Wang et al.
- Annales Academiae Medicae Stetinensis; Neurological Symptoms and Visual Disturbance Triggered by Anaphylactic Shock the Sting of a Hornet; L. Puchalska-Niedbał
- American Journal of Ophthalmology; Ophthalmic Manifestations of Allergic Fungal Sinusitis; Keith D. Carter et al.
