What Seasonal Allergies Mean For Your Heart

Most people associate seasonal allergies with itchy eyes and stuffy noses, but the effects can go a lot deeper.

This is because allergic reactions don’t just affect the respiratory system; they trigger chronic inflammation throughout the body, and in fact:

❝Allergic disease is a systemic and inflammatory condition❞

~ Dr. Rauno Joks, whose work we will cite in a moment

The important thing to understand in terms of heart health, is that chronic* systemic inflammation can contribute to coronary artery disease, where plaque buildup in arteries (bearing in mind, arterial plaque is in large part made of dead immune cells) raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

*Yes, a season once or twice per year counts as “chronic”.

A large (n=603,140) study found that allergic rhinitis (hay fever) increased the odds of coronary heart disease by 25% and heart attacks by 20%. Asthma, especially during flare-ups, posed an even greater risk:

The Relationship Between Allergic Rhinitis, Asthma, and Cardiovascular Disease in the National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS)

Beyond biology

The effects aren’t just biological; allergies can limit physical activity, leading to a sedentary lifestyle that harms heart health.

In other words: if you’re not going outdoors because there’s pollen, and you’re not exercising because you’re exhausted, then the rest of your health is going to take a nose-dive (so to speak) too.

So, one more reason to take it seriously and not just dismiss it as “it’s just allergies, I’ll survive”.

Practical takeaways

Some things we can all do:

• Monitor your risk factors; i.e. keep on top of your heart health metrics, especially blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as any known genetic predisposition to cardiovascular disease.
• Watch out for alternative causes: symptoms like fatigue or shortness of breath may not always be allergies; they could signal asthma, reflux (for example if wheezing), or even heart disease. An allergist is a good first port-of-call, though.
• Be cautious with medications: some decongestants / allergy meds / asthma meds can raise blood pressure and/or interfere with other medications. Your pharmacist is the best person to speak to about this; they know this kind of thing much better than doctors, as a rule. And whenever you get a new medication, it is good practice to make a habit of always reading the information leaflet that comes with it, and/or look it up on a reputable website such as Drugs.com or the the BNF, to learn about what it is, how it works, what the risks are, what its contraindications are, etc.
• Don’t ignore warning signs: lightheadedness or chest pain could indicate a heart issue and should be addressed immediately. It’s better to be wrong and temporarily embarrassed, than wrong and permanently dead. Besides, even if it’s not a heart issue, it may be something else that would benefit from attention, so taking it seriously is always a good idea.

Want to know more?

Check out:

• What Your Mucus Says About Your Health
• Antihistamines’ Generation Gap
• Oh, Honey: The Bee’s Knees? ← what science has to say about “honey will inoculate you against allergies”

Take care!