Fall is Americans’ favorite season, even more popular than summer with its warm weather and abundance of vacation days.
It’s easy to understand why. In many parts of the country, the trees are a beautiful array of red, orange and yellow. The temperature is warm enough to enjoy being outside without sweating. And the farmers’ market has an abundance of delicious produce, like pumpkins, apples and sweet potatoes.
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But if you suffer from fall allergies, battling the elements can really put a damper on all the fun fall festivities. “Certain people are definitely more prone to symptoms in the fall,” says Dr. Meagan Shepherd, MD, an allergist and immunologist. Dr. Shepherd says that weed pollen, including ragweed and mold spore levels, all increase in the fall. “People who are sensitized to weeds or mold can definitely see an uptick in their allergy and asthma symptoms starting around mid-August,” she says.
It can be especially frustrating to wake up with allergy symptoms. After all, you haven’t even gone outside yet! According to allergists, there are reasons why allergies can be worse in the morning, and a common bedroom habit can make it even more likely to wake up with allergy symptoms.
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Why Allergies Can Be Worse in the Morning
Allergies can cause all sorts of annoying symptoms, including sneezing, a runny nose, an itchy throat and red, watery eyes. Dr. Stephanie Kayode, MBChB, BSc, an allergist based in London, points out that this can make it pretty hard to fall asleep.
“The two symptoms that most affect sleep are a blocked nose and a runny nose. They happen because dust and pollen allergens trigger inflammation and swelling inside the nose,” Dr. Kayode says. She explains that when the nasal lining is congested, it becomes harder for the air we breathe in through the nose to pass through.
For many people, allergy symptoms are even worse in the morning. Dr. Shepherd says this typically happens to people who are allergic to dust mites, which live in soft surfaces like mattresses, pillows and bedding. If you sleep with your pet, she says this can also lead to some pretty bad allergy symptoms in the morning.
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The Common Bedroom Habit That Makes Allergy Symptoms Worse In the Morning
There’s one habit in particular that all three allergists we talked to say can make symptoms worse in the morning: not washing your bedding regularly. Dr. Kayode explains that bedding accumulates dust. That means that when you’re in bed, you’re in close contact with dust and dust mites for six to nine hours. “The prolonged exposure to dust mite allergen can disturb sleep and lead to symptoms that are worse by morning,” she says.
Dr. Rita Kachru, MD, an allergy and immunology doctor with UCLA Health, says that sleeping with the window open can also lead to experiencing worse allergy symptoms in the morning. She says that nighttime is when allergens tend to pollinate, and if your window is open, you’re breathing them right in.
Waking up with allergy symptoms has a real impact not only physically, but mentally. One study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that experiencing morning allergy symptoms substantially impacted participants’ mood for the day and negatively impacted their relationships. This is why it’s so important to find a way to treat your allergy symptoms and not just suffer through them.
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How to Wake Up Refreshed
Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to minimize allergy symptoms during the fall and wake up refreshed. As Dr. Kayode explained, dust can accumulate on bedding. This means that washing your bedding more often is key to reducing symptoms. Aim to wash your bedding once a week to minimize dust and dust mites.
“For dust-mite allergic patients, using a dust-mite proof mattress and pillow encasements can help reduce the dust mite exposure at night. Washing bedding in the hottest wash and dry cycle once weekly, with a goal of reaching at least 130°F for 15 minutes, can help reduce dust mite load,” says Dr. Shepherd.
Dr. Kayode says that using a dehumidifier in the bedroom can help reduce symptoms because dust mites thrive in damp conditions. She adds that using an air purifier can also help. “Air purifiers, especially those equipped with high-efficiency particulate air filters, are effective at removing dust mite particles and other airborne allergens such as pollen and animal dander from our home. As air purifiers filter the air that passes through them, models with higher airflow rates tend to be more effective at reducing levels of dust,” she says, adding that it’s also important to change your air filters regularly.
Since dust can also accumulate in carpets and room corners, Dr. Kayode says it’s also important to vacuum regularly. Remember, open windows can make symptoms worse in the morning, so Dr. Kachru recommends sleeping with the windows closed if you suffer from allergies. If you have a pet, she recommends having your pet sleep outside your bedroom to minimize breathing in pet dander.
If you wake up in the morning with symptoms, Dr. Kayode recommends doing a nasal rinse to decrease any allergens from your nasal passage that you may have come into contact with overnight. Dr. Kayode adds that over-the-counter anti-allergy medications such as antihistamine tablets and steroid nasal sprays can be helpful too.
If over-the-counter medications are not reducing your symptoms or allergies are impacting your daily life by preventing you from getting enough sleep or negatively impacting your mood, all three allergists say to see a doctor.
“Doctors can prescribe higher doses of antihistamine tablet medications and stronger steroid nasal sprays. There are some categories of allergy medications that are only available by prescription. These include combination nasal sprays that contain both steroids and antihistamines, certain antihistamine eye drops and immunotherapy,” Dr. Kayode says.
What’s most important is that suffering from allergy symptoms doesn’t become your new normal. With some simple housekeeping and help from a doctor, if needed, you can enjoy everything fall has to offer symptom-free.
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Sources
Our Nation’s Favorite Season, According To Farmers’ Almanac Readers. Farmers’ Almanac. Dr. Meagan Shepherd, MD, allergist and immunologist. Dr. Stephanie Kayode, MBChB, BSc, allergist at Allergy Care London. Dr. Rita Kachru, MD, allergy and immunology doctor with UCLA Health. Sharp, T. J. and Seeto, C. (2010). The Psychosocial Impact of Self-Reported Morning Allergy Symptoms: Findings from an Australian Internet-Based Survey. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. doi: 10.1155/2010/710926. How Often You Should Wash Your Sheets. Cleveland Clinic.Hence then, the article about allergies worse when you wake up allergists say this common bedroom habit could be why was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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