Women who suffer from spring allergies may dread the end of winter as they know what the following season has in store for them. The same can be said for women who are passing through the menopausal transition, during which hormonal imbalance can worsen symptoms.
Continue reading to learn more about spring allergies, including symptoms and causes, for a better understanding when dealing with this condition head on.
Spring Allergies Symptoms
Women who suffer from spring allergies generally have the following symptoms:
- Sneezing
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Itchy skin
- Runny, stuffy nose
- Coughing
- Sore throat
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Fatigue or weakness
Causes of Spring Allergies
Spring allergies are caused by the pollen of trees, grasses, and weeds. The immune system perceives pollen as dangerous and releases antibodies to attack it, thus triggering the release of chemical histamines into the blood. These histamines cause the well-known spring allergy symptoms.
Each plant begins pollen production at various times in the year. Tree pollination begins earliest in the year and is followed by grass pollination soon after in the spring and summer. Accordingly, depending on a woman's specific case, her spring allergies could continue for weeks or months at a time.
Also, keep in mind that depending on the climate, grass may pollinate throughout the majority of the year, and mild winter temperatures can cause plants to pollinate early the following season. Also, a spring with a lot of rain can encourage fast plant and pollen growth and increase mold levels, causing lengthened spring allergy symptoms as well.
Moreover, for perimenopausal women, spring allergies can be worsened by the hormonal imbalance taking place in their bodies as reproductive functions come to an end. Consistently fluctuating hormones can degrade immune system function, contributing to abnormal histamine levels and consequent allergy symptoms.
Key Takeaways
It's no secret that spring allergies can cause dreaded symptoms of sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, itchy skin, and more each season for women. Spring allergies are caused by the pollen of trees, grasses, and weeds that trigger the release of histamines in the body. While menopausal women may have it worse as their hormonal imbalance aggravates symptoms, they don't have to throw in the towel and accept their situation as is. There are a variety of allergy treatments that can help them get up and outside this allergy season the natural way.
Sources
- American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. (2017). Common Seasonal Allergy Triggers. Retrieved November 13, 2018, from https://acaai.org/allergies/seasonal-allergies
- Harvard Health Publishing. (2018). Is stress making your allergy symptoms worse? Retrieved November 13, 2018, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/is-stress-making-your-allergy-symptoms-worse
- MedlinePlus. (2011). Seasonal Allergies: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Retrieved November 13, 2018, from https://medlineplus.gov/magazine/issues/summer11/articles/summer11pg20.html
- Shah, S. (2012). Hormonal Link to Autoimmune Allergies. ISRN Allergy, 2012, Article ID 910437. doi: 10.5402/2012/910437
- Tourettes Action. (2017). Spring is in the air! And people start sneezing... Retrieved November 13, 2018, from https://www.tourettes-action.org.uk/index.php?n=219&allowcookies