Allergic rhinitis and excessive sweating

Allergic rhinitis and excessive sweating

There’s often a lack of understanding about excessive sweating and allergic rhinitis  because not only is it one of the more unusual symptoms of this condition, there’s also a few things that can lead to problem in the first place.

Adrenal fatigue

During a bout of allergic rhinitis the body produces excessive amounts of histamine in order to push out allergens such as pollen and animal dander. However, histamine contains inflammatory properties so, to counter this, the adrenal glands can release cortisol.

However, because the release of histamine is so extreme, sometimes the adrenal glands cannot keep up which leads to a whole host of problems including excessive sweating.

Infection

Congestion is one of the most common symptoms of allergic rhinitis but this can sometimes lead to infection. In order to fight this, body temperature increases and dizziness, sweating and fatigue becomes problematic.

Pain

Allergic rhinitis can cause a whole host of painful problems including a sore throat and earache. This stimulates the body’s sympathetic nervous system (the part of the body responsible for the fight and flight response) and, as a result, this triggers the production of inflammatory chemicals like adrenaline which leads you to sweat more.

Stress

Allergic rhinitis symptoms and stress  often exist in a vicious cycle. You may become stressed about your condition for example, which then leads to the release of adrenaline in order to fight the problem. This chemical, as I have explained, then makes you sweat more and can make you feel more on edge too - hence the creation of a stress cycle.

What else could cause excessive sweating?

If you experience excessive sweating but haven’t felt any other problems like congestion or inflammation, it indicates that something other than allergic rhinitis is the cause. It’s best to visit a doctor for some further advice on the issue but, in the meantime, here are a few other things that could cause allergic rhinitis.

Caffeine – lots of caffeine has been shown to over-stimulate the nervous system thus leading to irritability, an increased heart rate and excessive sweating.  

Hyperhidrosis – this condition causes excessive sweating but unfortunately there is no definitive cause. It can be linked to certain foods like alcohol, caffeine or spice but is also associated with conditions like menopause, low blood sugar and anxiety as well.

Medication – some medications such as those used to treat diabetes and anti-depressants can lead you to sweat more. 

Menopause – the hormonal changes that occur as you go through the menopause can lead hot flushes and night sweats. 

Nicotine - amongst other things, this can stimulate the sweat glands thus leading to excessive sweating.

What can you do?

The steps you take towards reducing excessive sweating should depend on what’s causing the problem on the first place. However, here are a few general tips to get you started.

Address your diet 

Certain foods such as smoked meats, walnuts, cashew nuts, milk-based products and foods with artificial colourings are high in histamine so these are best avoided when suffering from allergic rhinitis. However, there are foods low in histamine that you can eat instead such as fresh fruit, vegetables and meat, as well as herbal teas.

Echinacea 

The immune system has to work extra hard when suffering from allergic rhinitis in order to fight off a constant stream of allergens. This puts it under a great deal of strain so any extra assistance you can give it could be beneficial. Echinafoce Echinacea Drops are therefore ideal as they are made from fresh Echinacea in order to fully support the immune system.

Stay hydrated 

When sweating excessively the body loses a lot more fluid than would normally be the case so it’s important to drink lots of water at this time. 

Dehydration can also exasperate feelings of fatigue and dizziness. So, not only does this make you feel rotten, it could trigger a response from the nervous system as well which results in excessive sweating.

Try relaxing stretches and breathing exercises  

These kinds of activities will help calm your body and mind, plus it allows you to focus on something other than allergic rhinitis and uncomfortable symptoms like excessive sweating. 

How to avoid allergens

Avoiding allergens will certainly help improve the many symptoms of allergic rhinitis but, as this can be difficult task, here are a few tips.

Animal dander – if you have pets make your bedroom a pet-free zone as this will reduce your contact with allergens.

Dust mites – these like to live in carpets, rugs and bedding so make sure these things are washed regularly. 

Mould spores – turn on extractor fans when cooking and cleaning and circulate fresh air within your home to prevent the growth of mould.

Pollen – use a local pollen count to keep track of pollen counts in your area.

Herbal remedies

The treatment for excessive sweating once again depends largely on the cause. If you can conclude that stress is the issue for example, you may wish to try Stress Relief Daytime  which contains extracts of Valerian and Hops to calm the nervous system. 

To address the various symptoms of allergic rhinitis you also may wish to try our Pollinosan Hayfever Tablets. These are made from seven tropical herbs to provide quick and effective relief from problems such as sneezing, congestion and itchy eyes.

Conventional treatments

The most common treatment for allergic rhinitis is antihistamines as these block the body’s release of histamine in order to improve symptoms like congestion and inflammation. 

For allergic rhinitis symptoms that are particularly bad, or for symptoms that go on for a prolonged period of time, doctors may choose to prescribe steroids. However, this is only a short term solution as using them in the long term could cause nasty side effects.