How Allergies Can Trigger Chronic Illnesses and Conditions

How Allergies Can Trigger Chronic Illnesses and Conditions

For Fresno’s residents and visitors, allergies can be a year-round issue. Agriculture is a key industry in Fresno County, and the weather is known for being dry and warm. Rainfall averages 11 inches per year, which breaks down to less than an inch per month.

Take the lack of rain and warmer temperatures, and add the geography. Surrounded by mountains, the basin and dry Mediterranean climate create the perfect setting for year-round allergies. Those year-round allergies can become a bigger problem as they can trigger chronic illnesses and conditions.

Understanding Why Fresno’s Environment Triggers Allergies

The dry climate and warm weather are part of the problem. Fresno is in a valley, which adds to the problem. The San Joaquin Valley is known for its inversion layer effect. As the area is surrounded by mountains, cooler air gets trapped under warmer air currents. This layer effect traps emissions and smoke closer to the ground.

Factories, pollutants from farms and orchards, wood smoke, and vehicle emissions are all present. Almonds, apples, and other orchards produce a lot of pollen. Vineyards with the grapevines are also a problem.

As nights become cooler, especially in the winter months, inversions are common, and a lack of wind keeps the irritants from blowing away. You often go weeks without relief, and rain tends to be the best hope for lowering allergens and irritants.

Rainfall is more likely to occur in the winter months. This adds a new problem. Mold and mildew require moisture, so you have any smoke and emissions mixing with mold and mildew spores. With pollen in the spring, summer, and fall, and mold, mildew, and wood smoke in the cooler months, there’s no break from irritants that trigger allergies.

How Your Immune Response (IgE and Mast Cells) Leads to Chronic Allergic Inflammation

When an irritant enters the sinuses or mouth, an inflammatory response builds. Your body’s IgE antibodies alert the immune system to the “invader.” Your mast cells release histamine in response, which begins the inflammatory responses like itching or sneezing, a runny nose, and sinus pressure.

That’s a standard allergic response. It often goes away as the allergen lessens or an antihistamine takes effect.

Your immune system is made up of several lymphoid organs. They impact development, aid growth, and release a certain type of white blood cell. The lymphoid organs include your:

Adenoids
Appendix
Blood vessels
Bone marrow
Lymph nodes
Lymphatic vessels
Peyer’s patches (tissue in the small intestine)
Spleen
Thymus
Tonsils

When allergic reactions don’t taper off, you enter the realm of chronic allergic inflammation. This makes it impossible for the immune system to end the reaction you’re having.

Instead of your immune system slowing its response, more immune cells are sent out. Hours later, your body’s still working hard to battle the allergen. This causes the airway walls to thicken, mucus production goes into overdrive, and damage to tissue may occur, triggering common chronic conditions.

Know the Most Common Chronic Conditions Linked to Allergies

When you have chronic allergies, they increase the chances of developing one of these chronic conditions or health issues.

Allergic Asthma

Inflammation in the airways can lead to asthma. This is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in Fresno County. About 19% of Fresno County residents have asthma, and over half of them use daily medications to control their condition.

Signs of asthma include coughing and wheezing. Left untreated and unmanaged, your lung function can decline.

Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)

Eczema, aka atopic dermatitis, is a chronic skin condition that impacts people with allergies. About 16.5% of people in the U.S. have atopic dermatitis. Key signs are itchy, inflamed skin that worsens with exposure to irritants and pollution.

Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS) and Nasal Polyps.

CRS is a situation where inflammation from allergies impacts the entire respiratory system at the same time. The lungs, nasal passage, and sinuses are impacted, and symptoms last more than 12 weeks.

Sometimes, nasal polyps form in the sinuses and block airflow. It’s more common in situations where inflammation hasn’t been controlled.

Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE).

The lungs, airways, nose, and sinuses aren’t the only areas that chronic allergies impact. EoE occurs when chronic inflammation impacts the esophagus. It can occur with environmental allergies or food allergies.

Symptoms include:

Chest pain
Difficulty swallowing
The feeling of food being stuck in the throat (food impaction)
Heartburn
Nausea
Regurgitation
Vomiting

Other Impacts on Your Long-Term Health

Those are health conditions caused by chronic allergies. There are other impacts that chronic inflammation can cause.

Cardiovascular Disease

During chronic allergic inflammation, the cytokines released as part of the inflammatory response may travel to areas outside of the respiratory system. If that happens, it can trigger changes within the tissue.

Atherosclerosis is a condition where inflammation causes hardening of the arteries. This increases the risk of heart disease.

Mental Health

Your mental health may also be impacted by chronic allergies. Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health issues stemming from chronic allergies. Science Direct reports that 25% of patients diagnosed with allergic rhinitis deal with anxiety or depression.

About 66% feel more stress than others. Increased rates of suicidal thoughts are also concerning.

Poor Sleep Quality

Insomnia and poor sleep quality are also a higher risk when you have chronic allergies. Poor sleep quality affects 36% of people with allergies. Insomnia is worse at 48%.

A lack of sleep or interrupted sleep impacts your cognitive function. It can make it harder to focus on work or school lessons.

Tips for Reducing and Managing Allergies

Embrace your health by reducing or managing your allergy symptoms. It’s a multi-tiered approach that takes a village.

Start by improving your indoor air quality at home. Use a HEPA air filtration system to remove allergens and particulate matter from your home. Focus on key living areas like a family room or living room, home office, and bedroom.

Avoid going outside when pollen counts and air quality are problematic. Pollen counts are often highest in the morning and late afternoon/evening. If you must be outside during those times, wear a mask. Take a shower and wash your clothing as soon as you go inside to keep pollen from entering your living areas.

If you’re relying on over-the-counter medications to treat your allergies, it’s time for a better solution. Work with a Fresno allergy specialist to find effective, permanent solutions, such as immunotherapy. Sublingual drops or allergy shots provide lasting relief.

Ask an allergist about saline nasal rinses that flush allergens from your sinuses. It may help until immunotherapy treatments lessen your symptoms.

What’s most important is that you work with an allergy doctor. Contact Premium Allergy & Respiratory as they offer effective solutions to allergies. When you have the symptoms under control, you lower the risk of chronic health issues caused by allergies.