Ah, seasonal allergies. Hay Fever. Chronic allergic rhinitis. Whatever you call it, being unable to stop running nose, stuffing and sneezing and itching doesn’t make for a fun time. Allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever, is 40% At some point in life, a European.
Unfortunately, the discomfort caused by this widespread allergic reaction to pollen can also affect your sex life. A recent study published in Journal Allergy and Asthma Progression found that 83% of allergic rhinitis patients surveyed reported that sexual activity was at least sometimes affected by allergies, with about 17% saying that allergies had always or almost always negatively affected their sex life.
You wouldn’t think you’re the sexiest when you’re not feeling well, but it’s obvious that it doesn’t make it easier. Additionally, the side effects of over-the-counter allergy medications taken to reduce the annoying symptoms of hay fever can also make you feel like having sex. Over time, this can have a serious impact on your sex life, especially for people suffering from severe seasonal allergies.
Scientists can’t treat allergies yet, but there are a few things they can do to reduce their sensitivity to allergies and take steps to get out of the hay mist and return to their sexy self.
What you eat may exacerbate your seasonal allergies
One thing that many may be surprised is the fact that what you eat may worsen your allergies. Even if you don’t usually have a severe response when eating certain foods, these foods can “react” with other allergens, creating particularly unbearable allergies.
One in three people who are allergic to wood pollen can experience an extra tingling in the mouth or an extra throat after eating certain foods, known as “oral allergy syndrome.” This is because pollen and fruit proteins can cross-react Compounds Pollen allergies.
For example, tree pollen allergies can be exacerbated by foods such as apples, almonds, apricots, celery, carrots, kiwi, cherry, peach, parsley, and pears. If you are allergic to grass, look at fruits like melons, oranges, and tomatoes. If you consume these foods regularly, your best bet is to stick to canned food, well cooked or frozen foods.
Less sexy means less sex
The above study did not dig into specific reasons why people with nose allergies had less sex, but it’s a pretty straight shot to conclude that hay symptoms can make you feel sensory. After all, symptoms such as runny nose, teary eyes, and itching may even be made simple and intimate enough to make kissing less attractive.
When your general face feels uncomfortable, it’s difficult to make it, be intimate and have skin-to-skin contact with someone else. Imagine how uncomfortable it is to give oral sex when you can’t breathe through your nose, or how troublesome it is to be on the receiver side and how troublesome it is to fight the constant urge to itch your face.
Allergy medications may not help either
Antihistamines, whether prescribed or OTC, are what people reach to alleviate seasonal allergies. However, the same mechanisms of antihistamines that relieve allergic symptoms can cause less desirable effects on your sex life.
Antihistamines work by blocking the effects of histamine, which are produced through an immune response and cause all of these unpleasant symptoms, and are usually combined with leavening agents to reduce swelling and make breathing easier through the nose.
Both of these medications dry out the mucus in the body, not just the throat and sinuses. This means that commercially available colds and allergies can dry out the mucus membranes within the vagina and disrupt the delicate balance of the body’s natural lubrication system.
Having sex when not properly lubricated can cause many issues, such as bleeding, burning, pain, itching, and urinary tract infections. Therefore, it is important to lubricate properly when you are down. Furthermore, allergy medications can make you sleepy and for most of us who live a busy daytime life, falling asleep quickly, despite your best intentions will put a serious dent in your sex life.
Minimize allergy exposure
Other precautions can be taken to minimize allergy exposure and reduce symptoms to avoid taking antihistamines until they are absolutely necessary.
- Leave the windows closed early in the morning and evening, where the pollen count is highest, and AC circulates the air inside.
- Wear clothes you wear outside, neatly, dress
- Take a shower before going to bed to remove pollen from your skin and make you feel better before snuggling with your partner
- Avoid hanging outside as pollen can stick to them
- See what you eat to avoid cross-reactions that aggravate your allergies
