updated 8:29
a.m. ET April 8, 2010
People with allergies
know that their sniffling and sneezing is allergen-induced, but
allergies don't always present themselves with such typical symptoms.
Sometimes allergic reactions can cause fatigue, headaches — or even
depression. While not everyone agrees there is an allergy link to these
conditions, there is evidence that strongly suggests it. Here's what's
been found, and how to control your allergies to alleviate each problem.
Chronic
fatigue syndrome If you've been experiencing extreme
exhaustion for 6 months or more and your doctor hasn't been able to
identify the cause, you might have chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). And
if you do have CFS, allergies could be playing an important role, says
Leo Galland, MD, director of the Foundation for Integrated Medicine in
New York City and author of "Power Healing."
Though no one knows
exactly what causes CFS, researchers have found that more than half of
the people with CFS they've studied also have allergies. "I believe that
being an allergic individual predisposes you to chronic fatigue
syndrome," says Galland. "Chronic fatigue syndrome seems to be
associated with an over-reactivity of certain parts of the immune
system, which is similar to what we see in people with allergies."
And when allergies are part of the cause, treating
the allergies can be a part of the cure. "I've found that close to
three-fourths of my patients will find their fatigue improves when their
allergies improve," Galland notes. This improvement varies widely, but
sometimes it can be dramatic. "There have been some patients in whom
disabling chronic fatigue totally goes away when their food allergies
were treated," he reports.
Check pollen levels in your region
Environmental allergens
and irritants can also compound your fatigue. "Mold allergy is an
important cause of fatigue and muscle aches. A significant proportion of
people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have mold
sensitivity," says Galland. If you have been diagnosed with CFS, you
should see an allergist to get a thorough evaluation for allergies, he
advises.
Depression
Scientists acknowledge that allergens can contribute
to mood alterations. In a 3-year study of 36 people with allergies, Paul
S. Marshall, PhD, a psychologist at Hennepin County Medical Center in
Minneapolis, found that 69 percent reported feeling more irritable when
their allergies flared up; 63 percent reported more fatigue; 41 percent
said that they had difficulty staying awake; and 31 percent reported
feeling "sad." So the idea that allergies might exacerbate mild
depression in a few people who have other allergic symptoms isn't that
far-fetched to some researchers.
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In her analysis
of the incidence of allergies and depression among more than 7,000
Finnish twins, Wamboldt found that genetics may explain 10 percent of
the connection between allergic disorders and depression. Other studies
have suggested that people who have undergone allergy testing or
received allergy shots are two to three times more likely to be
diagnosed with major depression at some point in their lives, Marshall
reports.
"Traditionally,
allergists have said that depression is the result of the allergic
symptoms — you're not sleeping well or not breathing well because your
nose is stuffed up. Now we have a good deal of evidence that suggests
there is a direct biochemical process going on in at least a few
people," Marshall says.
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Prevention
"Some researchers are
beginning to suspect that some types of depression may be triggered by
inflammatory reactions in the body," Wamboldt says. But this theory is
far from proven, and for now, there is no single treatment that will
relieve both allergies and depression, Marshall notes.
"All we can really do is
treat the depression with therapy and/or antidepressant medications and
treat the allergies with shots, antihistamines, and avoidance of the
allergens," Marshall says.