What should I do with the hard drowsy symptoms due to hay fever?Pollen countermeasures for comfort

Hello, this is Kei Kazushige, WELLMETHOD writer.

It's the season when the sun feels warm.

It's warm and cheerful, and it makes me feel radiant, but this time of year, many people are suffering from "hay fever".

Do you have an image of hay fever that makes you sleepy?

Speaking of hay fever, drowsiness is a common side effect of medications.

However, hay fever and sleep are closely related, and drowsiness caused by hay fever is not only caused by drugs.

Actually, I am one of those who have suffered from the symptoms of hay fever, such as a runny nose and itchy eyes in the spring since I was in my late 20s.

Especially when the symptoms of hay fever are severe, my physical condition is not good all the time, such as a swollen face and a large amount of runny nose.

Furthermore, I often felt sleepy during the day, felt dizzy, and felt sluggish.

Even if you have the desire to do your best, it would be a waste if your performance dropped due to drowsiness and sluggishness.

Actually, the drowsiness and sluggishness of this hay fever can be alleviated by properly taking measures against hay fever.

For those of you who have given up because you have hay fever, this time, the author, who suffered from hay fever in the past, will talk about the effective countermeasures that he has tried and how this sleepiness is due to hay fever. I will introduce you to the self-check method of whether you have hay fever or not.

Let's lead a comfortable life by correctly understanding hay fever and knowing preventive measures.

Contents

1. What is hay fever?

Hay fever is seasonal allergic rhinitis caused by pollen (antigens).

Allergic rhinitis is a condition in which an excessive immune reaction that tries to eliminate foreign substances that have entered the mucous membrane of the nose occurs, and rhinitis symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing continue.

The most common cause of this allergic rhinitis is pollen.

There are various types of pollen, and the pollen that causes hay fever, such as cedar, rice, and ragweed, varies from person to person.

2. Three main symptoms of hay fever

The main symptoms of hay fever are runny nose, stuffy nose, and sneezing. These are said to be the three major symptoms of hay fever.

The runny nose of hay fever is different from the yellow, highly viscous runny nose that occurs when you catch a cold.

Nasal congestion occurs when the nasal mucosa swells and narrows the passageway between the nose and throat.

Sneezing occurs in order to excrete the pollen attached to the mucous membrane of the nose out of the body as a foreign substance.

Hay fever sneezes are more frequent than colds and flu, and are one of the symptoms that many hay fever sufferers suffer from.

Hay fever has various symptoms in addition to the three major symptoms.

Itchy eyes, called allergic conjunctivitis, are one of the symptoms associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis such as hay fever.

In addition to the itchy eyes themselves, the eyelids and the skin around the edges of the eyelids may also become itchy.

In addition, symptoms such as rumbling, watery eyes, eye mucus, and hyperemia may occur.

Itchy and sore throats are common symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis, such as hay fever.

In particular, when the symptoms of allergic rhinitis become severe, nasal congestion and mouth breathing occur, which increases the number of allergens (pollen) that reach the throat.

As a result, the throat may become itchy, causing pain and discomfort.

When nasal symptoms and sore throat are combined, it is difficult to distinguish them from the early symptoms of a cold, and doctors often get lost in the diagnosis. In the case of a cold, chills and fever are often accompanied by sneezing and coughing, but hay fever does not have these symptoms.

Hay fever is said to affect sleep.

Insufficient sleep results in increased daytime sleepiness and sluggishness throughout the day. may have an impact.

The relationship between hay fever and sleep will be explained in detail in Chapter 4.

Hay fever can cause headaches when symptoms worsen.

It is said that the inability to breathe due to nasal congestion and histamine, a transmitter substance released from cells in the body due to hay fever, are related.

In addition, if the mucous membrane of the nose swells due to the symptoms of hay fever, chronic sinusitis is likely to occur.

3. How hay fever affects daily life

What kind of impact does hay fever have on your daily life? We will introduce the effects of hay fever on your daily life.

・Decreased concentration ・Decreased ability to think and remember ・Fatigue ・Fatigue ・Irritation ・Depression

In hay fever, in addition to the annoyance of rhinitis, the quality of sleep is reduced due to stuffy nose, and symptoms such as general malaise, irritability, and headaches may occur.

In addition to irritability, mental symptoms may cause instability such as decreased concentration and anxiety.

If the symptoms worsen further, there are cases such as depression or troublesome socializing.

Sleep disturbances due to hay fever can cause these.

4. Reasons why hay fever is related to sleep

How much does hay fever affect sleep?

According to a paper reported in 2008, it was revealed that more than 75% of people feel that the symptoms of hay fever affect their sleep.

There are three main reasons why hay fever is related to sleep: hay fever itself and drug side effects.

Reference) https://www.mhlw.go.jp/file/05-Shingikai-10905100-Kenkoukyoku-Ganshippeitaisakuka/0000121254.pdf

Sleep disorder is one of the causes of sleepiness due to hay fever. Symptoms of hay fever, such as breathlessness due to stuffy nose and sleep disruption due to sneezing, can lead to poor sleep quality.

In severe cases, it can cause sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea syndrome, as the name suggests, is a condition in which breathing stops temporarily during sleep.

Sleep apnea syndrome is said to be more likely to occur in obese people. However, it is said that hay fever is also likely to occur.

When nasal congestion occurs and it is difficult to breathe through the nose, negative pressure is applied to the back of the throat, and if the symptoms worsen, breathing may stop.

As a result, you may not be able to get enough sleep and sleep lightly due to the pain at night.

If you don't get enough sleep, you won't be able to get rid of your body's fatigue, and you will feel exhausted in the morning and easily sleepy during the day.

When allergens that cause hay fever, such as Japanese cedar, enter the body, the body releases antibodies (IgE) from immune cells in order to excrete them.

This antibody acts on various cells, and immune cells called inflammatory mediators such as interleukins and leukotrienes are released in a chain.

Substances called inflammatory mediators cause sneezing and runny nose, and excrete the causative substances out of the body.

On the other hand, there are several substances that cause strong drowsiness.

In other words, the immune substances produced by hay fever contain strong drowsiness-promoting substances, which may cause drowsiness.

If you are taking hay fever medication, especially if you are taking an antihistamine, drowsiness may occur as a side effect.

Histamine is a chemical messenger associated with hay fever that induces runny nose and sneezing.

On the other hand, histamine is also present in the brain, where it is involved in the function of wakefulness and sleep.

Therefore, if antihistamines are used to relieve the symptoms of hay fever, and the drugs suppress the action of histamine in the brain, drowsiness may increase.

This is the drowsiness side effect of antihistamines.

Drowsiness is a side effect of antihistamines, but in fact, the degree of drowsiness that appears depends on each ingredient.

This is because the transfer rate of antihistamines to the brain varies depending on the ingredients.

Therefore, not all antihistamines cause drowsiness to the same extent, and some of them are relatively less likely to cause drowsiness.

In addition, antihistamines are roughly divided into two types: "first generation antihistamines" and "second generation antihistamines". The second generation is also called "antiallergic".

The characteristics and representative ingredients for each drowsiness are summarized below.

Among antihistamines, second-generation antihistamines are less likely to penetrate the brain than first-generation antihistamines, and are less likely to cause drowsiness. increase.

However, even second-generation antihistamines can cause drowsiness depending on the person's constitution. At the time of the first administration, it is necessary to observe the situation, such as avoiding driving.

Second-generation antihistamines can be broadly divided into three groups: piperazines, piperidines, and tricyclics. Choosing is also effective.

5. Is it really hay fever? Self-checks and key points

"I've been feeling very sleepy and sluggish this spring."

Especially at this time of year, when you have sneezing, a runny nose, or sleepiness all day long, you may be wondering if you have a cold or hay fever.

Hay fever is one of the symptoms of allergies, but the way symptoms appear varies from person to person.

In this chapter, I will introduce points to determine whether you have hay fever or a cold. If you are interested, please check it out.

In addition to that, whether it is seasonal or year-round, the time when symptoms appear, residence, age, occupation, medical history, and living environment can also determine whether or not you have hay fever. .

Even if symptoms such as runny nose and sneezing continue, not all of them are symptoms of hay fever. Cold symptoms have similar symptoms.

The main differences between a cold and hay fever are as follows.

There are mainly these differences between hay fever and the common cold. If you are concerned, please consult an internal medicine doctor or an otolaryngologist.

6. Measures to relieve drowsiness and distressing symptoms caused by hay fever

In order to alleviate drowsiness caused by hay fever, rather than taking measures against the drowsiness itself, first avoid exposure to the pollen that causes it. It is important to take measures to alleviate painful symptoms such as nasal discharge and nasal congestion.

In this chapter, we will introduce measures that can be taken now.

When there is a lot of pollen, close the windows tightly to prevent pollen from entering.

When ventilating, open the window small and try to do it for a short time.

In addition, using an air purifier to prevent pollen from scattering indoors and frequent cleaning are effective because they can remove pollen that has entered the room.

Also, refrain from drying your futon outside during the pollen season, and use a futon dryer as much as possible.

Be careful not to let pollen get into your body when you go out.

Be sure to wear a hat, mask, glasses, etc., and avoid wearing coats made of wool or acrylic, as pollen tends to stick to them.

Because there is a limit to the amount of pollen that sticks to clothes, even if you use an adhesive roller or your hands, we recommend outerwear made of cotton or polyester, which has a smooth surface that prevents pollen from sticking.

The amount of pollen dispersal varies throughout the day due to air convection due to temperature differences and the movement of people, so be careful when you go out.

Especially outdoors, it is said that most of the dust scatters around noon and around sunset, so it is also important to avoid going out during those times.

Wipe pollen off your clothes and hair outside the front door before entering the house.

Furthermore, washing your eyes and gargling your nose is effective in washing away pollen that has gotten into your eyes and nose through gaps in masks and glasses.

You can wash your eyes with lukewarm water, but washing them too much can put a strain on your eyes, so we recommend using a commercially available eye wash.

If you gargle your nose with tap water, the osmotic pressure may cause pain in the back of your nose. salt) or use a commercially available solution, you can do it without stress.

If the medicine for hay fever makes you sleepy and interferes with your daily life, you may want to consider changing the medicine.

There are various medicines for hay fever, including oral medicine, nose drops, and eye drops.

Drugs that are suitable for you will vary depending on your constitution, efficacy, and side effects, so if you can't stand drowsiness, can't drive due to drowsiness, or can't concentrate on your studies or work, consult your doctor. let's

In order to relieve the symptoms of hay fever, it is also important to review your lifestyle.

In particular, alcohol dilates blood vessels, worsens nasal congestion, and promotes the secretion of histamine, a metabolite of alcohol that causes hay fever.

If you want to relieve the symptoms of hay fever, try to refrain from it.

Tobacco and spices are also likely to irritate the nasal mucosa and worsen the symptoms of hay fever, so it is safer to avoid them.

In addition, linoleic acid contained in salad oil and vegetable oil has the function of increasing arachidonic acid, which induces allergies, so be careful not to eat too much. It is found in large amounts in salad oil, safflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, processed oils and fats used in processed foods, and margarine.

On the other hand, fish oil and EPA/DHA should be consumed to reduce inflammation.

Also, try to actively take water-soluble dietary fiber such as seaweed and vegetables.

Soluble dietary fiber produces a component called butyric acid by butyric acid bacteria in the large intestine.

Butyric acid works on immune cells and regulates the intestines into educator-like inhibitory T cells (Treg) that work to regulate allergies.

A lifestyle that avoids overwork, lack of sleep, and stress is said to exacerbate the symptoms of hay fever.

Review your life by making time to relax, get enough sleep, and find ways to relieve stress.

▼ How to relieve painful hay fever? How to review lifestyle habits that can be tackled on a daily basis

https://wellmethod.jp/hay_fever/

7. Find out the reasons for drowsiness in hay fever and take measures that suit you. There are also things.

Therefore, it is important to know which type you belong to when you are suffering from sleepiness.

And there is more than one cause.

If there is a medical institution that you are visiting, one way is to consult with them without thinking, ``I can't help it at this time.''

In the past, I also suffered from drowsiness due to medicine for hay fever, but as soon as I consulted my family doctor and had my medicine changed, my drowsiness suddenly subsided. bottom.

First of all, it is important to understand sleepiness in hay fever, prevent pollen, and prevent sleepiness as much as possible to lead a comfortable life.

Let's look back on our bodies so that we can continue to shine brightly every day.

This article was supervised by Doctor Risa Kirimura

Physician

Risa Kirimura

Physician, Certified Occupational Physician Representative Director of tenrai Co., Ltd. Member of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine, the Japan Diabetes Society, and the Japanese Society of Anti-Aging Medicine

Graduated from Ehime University School of Medicine. After working in dermatology and diabetes metabolism and endocrinology, she has a wide range of clinical experience, from lifestyle-related diseases to home care, molecularly integrated nutritional therapy, biological medicine, preventive medicine using indigenous bacteriology, and women's outpatients. The health project at a company that I supervised won the 1st Health Science Business Best Selections (Health Science Business Promotion Organization). Currently, he is engaged in disseminating healthcare information and supervising products through writing, media, and lecture activities. Appeared as an intestinal environment commentator on Fuji TV's "Honma Dekka!? TV". In addition, many media appearances such as "Tokudane!"

and more

Kei Kazushige

A freelance writer who is mainly active in genres for women, such as her own childbirth, childcare, and partnerships. She lives with her husband, college student son, and a cat. His motto is, "If you do something, you can do it. If you don't do something, it's because you didn't do it."

A list of articles by Kei Kazushige