For those of us with seasonal allergies, also called hay fever or allergic rhinitis, the struggle is real — especially when the plant you’re allergic to is in bloom. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that “allergies are an overreaction of the immune system to substances that generally do not affect other individuals.” This overreaction produces inflammation, and the body makes antibodies to help it remember to attack at the next exposure.
Inflammation and the body’s immune system response may also be a component in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an incurable lung disease that can make breathing more difficult, so some doctors and researchers think there could be a connection between seasonal allergies and COPD.
[See: 16 Ways Your Body Adjusts to a New Climate.]
The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery further describes the process of how allergies become an annual or ongoing problem for some people. “When an allergen re-enters the body, the immune system rapidly recognizes it, causing a series of reactions. These reactions often involve blood vessel dilation and production of many inflammatory substances, including histamine.” It’s this histamine that creates many of the common symptoms of allergies, such as itchy and watery eyes, sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, scratchy throat, hives and shortness of breath. “Other less common symptoms are eye irritations, skin problems such as eczema, and even breathing problems like asthma.”
Allergens can take many forms, but most seasonal allergies are triggered by inhaling microscopic particles of the pollen or spores of a variety of plants that bloom at different times during the year. The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports that “symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis occur in spring, summer and/or early fall. They are usually caused by allergic sensitivity to pollens from trees, grasses or weeds, or to airborne mold spores.” But this reaction may not just be seasonal for all sufferers; “people with perennial allergic rhinitis experience symptoms year-round.” Triggers for perennial allergic rhinitis include “house dust mites, animal dander, cockroaches and/or mold spores.”
People who suffer from seasonal allergies may experience a range of symptoms that can run from “merely bothersome to life-threatening,” the CDC reports. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reports that “in severe cases, [an allergic reaction] can cause rashes, hives, low blood pressure, breathing trouble, asthma attacks and even death,” although seasonal allergies typically aren’t that severe. ( Allergies to food items such as nuts, eggs and shellfish tend to be more dangerous than the symptoms most people experience in response to airborne allergens.)
[See: 8 Surprising Facts About Asthma and Seasonal Allergies.]
Across the board, the CDC reports that “allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S. with an annual cost in excess of $18 billion. More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies each year.” Dr. Paivi Salo, a National Institutes of Health allergy expert, told the NIH News in Health newsletter that “currently, airborne allergies affect 10 to 30 percent of adults and 40 percent of children.”
So it’s clear that seasonal allergies are both common and annoying. But for people who have COPD, an episode of seasonal allergies can be more than just a runny nose and a lot of sneezing. In some COPD patients, it appears that seasonal allergies can trigger exacerbations of the disease that can result in hospital stays. A 2013 study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that study participants who had common seasonal or indoor allergies “were more likely to report respiratory symptoms and had an increased risk of COPD exacerbations requiring antibiotics or an [emergency department] visit or hospitalization compared with” people who didn’t have allergies. What’s more, “a substantial proportion of individuals with COPD have an allergic phenotype,” or characteristics of allergies. In the groups studied, “the prevalence [of allergies] was 25 to 30 percent,” suggesting there could be a further causal relationship between allergies and COPD.
The study authors note that “the mechanism through which allergy may affect respiratory health in smoking-induced COPD is not clearly understood,” but one hypothesis is that inflammation of the airways associated with allergies could worsen symptoms in COPD. But they also caution that “despite the possible role that the presence of an allergic phenotype might play in COPD, the association of allergy with increased respiratory symptoms in patients with COPD has not been adequately investigated.”
[See: How to Survive Ragweed Allergy Season.]
Nevertheless, it stands to reason that if you’re coughing and sneezing a lot because of seasonal allergies, that could make it more difficult to cope with the day-to-day symptoms of COPD. If you suffer from seasonal allergies and have COPD, it’s important to follow your doctor’s orders regarding how best to cope with your seasonal allergies when they begin to bother you.
Although there’s currently no way to cure seasonal allergies, they can be managed, and reducing your exposure to whatever you’re allergic to is the most effective way to diminish your symptoms. (Your doctor or an allergist can help you determine what exactly is triggering your symptoms.) For example, if it’s ragweed (soft-stemmed weeds that grow in much of the United States) that gets your histamines roaring to the fight, keep your windows closed and air conditioner running during ragweed season, which typically spans from mid-August to the first frost. Keeping your home dust and animal-dander free is also a good way to reduce symptoms of seasonal allergies. You doctor may also be able to offer you an “allergy shot,” a type of immunotherapy to reduce hay fever symptoms. The ACAAI reports such shots reduce symptoms in about 85 percent of people with allergic rhinitis.
More from U.S. News
8 Surprising Facts About Asthma and Seasonal Allergies
How to Survive Ragweed Allergy Season
16 Ways Your Body Adjusts to a New Climate
Are Seasonal Allergies and COPD Connected? originally appeared on usnews.com
