Dizziness as a Symptoms of Allergy
If you feel dizzy, you might be wondering about the cause. Dehydration, medication, and various conditions can cause you to feel dizzy and nauseous. Although dizziness may seem like a mild condition, this condition can really be very disruptive to daily life. This condition can even be so severe that it can make you lay in bed for hours or days.
Among the many causes of dizziness, one of which is allergic. Allergy is the body's immune system response to foreign substances that are usually not harmful to your body. Foreign substances are called allergens. They may include certain foods, pollen, or pet dander, and others.
Sinus congestion associated with allergies can cause dizziness or a more severe type of dizziness called vertigo. Read the explanation below to learn what causes allergy-related dizziness and how to treat it.
What causes dizziness due to allergies?
Dizziness caused by allergies can be caused by a substance called an allergen. Allergens can be found both in the air and in the food you eat.
Dizziness due to air allergies
If you are allergic to certain airborne substances, including dust, pollen, and pet dander, your body starts releasing chemicals called antihistamines to fight intruders. Histamine is a cause of symptoms that you know as allergic symptoms. Typical allergic symptoms include sinus congestion, sneezing, itchy throat, and coughing.
Allergies affect the Eustachian channel. The Eustachian Channel is basically a channel that connects the middle ear to the back of your throat and helps regulate your balance, while also equating the pressure in the middle ear with the ambient air pressure. When you start experiencing symptoms in your ear, including annoying stuffiness that can make it difficult to hear, often because your Eustachian tube is blocked by phlegm. When the inj tube is blocked, it is no longer able to equalize the pressure in the ear and maintain balance in your body. This middle ear disorder can cause symptoms of dizziness in those who suffer from allergies, colds, and sinus infections.
Mild head may also be a symptom of allergies. Lightheadedness and dizziness are two special symptoms that are usually distinguished from one another. When you experience a light head, you feel as if you might faint or be unconscious, not the feeling of a spinning room (or whose head is spinning). Lying can usually relieve a mild head, at least temporarily, whereas dizziness generally does not subside when you lie down.
Dizziness due to food allergies
Mild headaches and dizziness are sometimes associated with food allergies. This is a manifestation of the body's efforts to fight foreign substances, similar to the histamine reaction that occurs with air allergies. If you regularly have symptoms of dizziness, air allergies may not be the cause. You may have an intolerance to gluten or wheat or other food products.
Symptoms can occur immediately after eating foods that cause allergies or a few hours later, but actual food allergies tend to appear quickly. On the other hand, mild 'food intolerance' may not cause symptoms for several hours, or even days. For this reason, you might not associate your dizziness with the food you just ate. It may even be that the ink allergy is not known until the allergy test results in sensitivity.
Can vertigo also be caused by allergies?
Vertigo is a severe form of dizziness that causes you to see space as if it were spinning. A person with vertigo may also feel as if they are moving while they are still sitting or standing. In the case of vertigo caused by allergies, the cause is a buildup of fluid in the middle ear.
It's important to know that although vertigo can be debilitating or disruptive, this condition can be treated. Your doctor may run various tests to determine the cause. If vertigo is known to be associated with allergic rhinitis, the doctor will provide the appropriate treatment or refer you to a specialist (usually an allergist or ear, nose, and throat).
Because vertigo can be related to more serious health issues, it is important to seek treatment as soon as possible after you experience these symptoms.
Medication for dizziness caused by allergies is usually given to treat the cause - namely the allergy itself. Avoiding allergens is the most effective way to treat allergies. Unfortunately, it is not possible to completely avoid airborne allergens. Prescription drugs and drugs available on the market can help relieve dizziness and other symptoms of allergies. However, treating the cause is a more effective way to get rid of dizziness forever.
First, the doctor will try to determine the cause of your dizziness. This is usually done with a traditional allergy test, with detailed analysis of certain allergens. Food allergies are usually diagnosed through a process of elimination. Your doctor may advise you to go on an 'elimination diet' to find out which foods are causing your symptoms. Based on this, you can determine the treatment or dietary changes needed.
Drugs
There are many choices for combating allergy symptoms. Antihistamines that are popular for short-term use can be very effective in reducing congestion that might cause your dizziness. Antihistamines are also used to treat vertigo. Be aware that many antihistamines can cause drowsiness. It is very important not to drive or operate the machine when you first use antihistamines. You should also avoid using antihistamines with antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, muscle relaxants, sleeping pills, or alcohol. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions.
In addition to antihistamines, types of drugs to treat allergies or allergic symptoms include:
- Corticosteroid pills
- Sodium chromoline
- Steroid spray for mouth or nose
- Dekongestan
- Leukotriene modifier
- Allergy shots
For long-term treatment, doctors will tend to want to treat allergies that cause a histamine reaction. This can be done with prescription drugs that are safe for daily use. This can also be done with specially formulated allergy injections.
When you receive an allergy injection, you will be injected with a small amount of allergen. This helps reduce reactions to allergens in Andq's body over time. Then gradually increase your dose, so that your body can adjust. Your symptoms will diminish over time. Allergy shots are not currently available for food allergies.
Diet
You may need to consider changing your diet if your dizziness is related to food. A gluten-free diet, a milk-free diet, or a wheat-free diet can be recommended. There are many choices on the market today to meet those special food needs. Your doctor may also monitor you for signs of celiac disease. This condition is a more serious form of gluten intolerance that requires full avoidance of gluten in your diet or serious health complications can occur.
Dizziness can be a problem, but when allergies are the root cause, proper treatment can restore your symptoms. The key is to determine the cause of the dizziness and treat it, not the symptoms themselves.