What are the symptoms of allergies?
Allergy symptoms vary for each person – and each allergy. Seasonal or environmental allergies symptoms usually include:
- Runny nose, usually with clear or pale-colored mucus
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Red, watery eyes
- Itching around the nose, mouth or eyes
Seasonal or environmental allergies include allergies to pollen, such as ragweed; mold, pets, dust mites, cockroaches and mice.
Untreated symptoms may also result in the following:
- Nasal congestion
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Postnasal drip
- Decreased sense of smell
- Sinus infections (also called sinusitis)
- Ear infections
- Puffiness or dark circles under the eyes
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
What are the symptoms of anaphylaxis?
Symptoms of allergies can be serious. Life-threatening allergic reaction occur to:
- food
- insect venom
- medication
- latex
The following symptoms can be serious and progress quickly to the point where emergency care is needed:
- Skin: itching, redness, swelling and hives
- Mouth: itching, swelling of lips and tongue
- Stomach: vomiting, diarrhea, cramps
- Respiratory: shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, chest pain and/or tightness
- Heart: weak pulse, dizziness, faintness
- Headache, nasal congestion, watery eyes, sweating
- Confusion, feeling of impending doom
- Loss of consciousness
Anaphylaxis typically occurs when at least two organ systems (skin, mouth, stomach, respiratory, heart) are involved in symptoms.
Why do we sneeze?
People sneeze in response to an irritation or tickle in their nose. When the inside of your nose gets a tickle, the nerve endings send a message to the sneeze center in your brain. This transmits a call to an amazingly complex set of muscles to get rid of the tickle quickly.
In a split second, your stomach, chest, diaphragm (the breathing muscle beneath your lungs), vocal cord, throat, face and eyelid muscles flex and … Ah-Choo! At a roaring 600 miles per hour, your body tries to dislodge the pollen, dust, pepper, mold, virus or bacteria trapped in your nose. (Kids sneeze at about 100 miles per hour.)
Some people sneeze when they breathe cold air. Others sneeze in threes. And still others sneeze when stepping from dark into bright light. If this happens to you, then you have a condition called “photic” (meaning “light”) sneezing.
© 2021 Allergy and Asthma Network
Last updated : 12/7/2020