People might not associate brain fog and fatigue with spring allergies, but these symptoms can make life just as miserable — or sometimes more — than the watery eyes, itchy noses and congestion we typically associate with reactions to pollen.
“It affects work performance and productivity. You’re just tired,” said Mansoor Amiji, a Northeastern University distinguished professor of pharmaceutical sciences, who is himself dealing with eye irritation and a runny nose from tree pollen.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, an association of medical professionals specializing in those fields, the fatigue and cognitive impairments that accompany seasonal allergies can lead to trouble making decisions, irritability and reduced hand-eye coordination, which in turn can contribute to school and work injuries and a greater risk of car crashes.
The symptoms that typically come to mind when thinking of allergies — congestion and post-nasal drip — can by themselves cause sufferers to toss and turn in bed, said Jenny Van Amburgh, Northeastern clinical professor in pharmacy and health systems sciences. “You can’t breathe as well at night, so you might have restless sleep,” she said.
None of this is about the pollen itself, but rather the series of events that is set off in our body when it comes in contact with pollen that causes allergic reactions, such as tree and grass pollens borne on the wind.
