As we approach late summer, it’s time to begin bracing for wildfire season. Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of wildfires in the western U.S., meaning that smoke and bad air quality is a yearly event.
That said, we’re not out of the weeds yet (literally) in terms of allergy season, so your congestion and sneezing could be triggered by smoke, allergies or both. Let’s discuss how to tell which is causing your symptoms.
Common Allergy Symptoms
An allergic reaction occurs when a harmless substance enters your body, and your immune system mistakes it for a threat and mounts an attack. It will trigger inflammation in the area to trap the irritant and then increase fluid production to flush it out, resulting in symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, congestion, watery eyes and difficulty breathing.
How Wildfire Smoke Affects Your Sinuses
When wildfire burns the landscape, the gases and microscopic particulate matter produced by the burn are carried upward in the smoke and carried over great distances. These gases and particulate matter can irritate the nasal passages and throat when breathed in and cause inflammation, leading to congestion, coughing, a scratchy throat and difficulty breathing. Moreover, smoke getting in your eyes can cause redness and irritation. Notably, these symptoms look very similar to an allergic reaction.
Can Wildfire Smoke Make Allergies Worse?
Studies show that people who already have allergies may react more strongly to wildfire smoke, as their nasal passages and airways are already chronically inflamed. They also show that allergy sufferers may experience worsened respiratory function after the smoke has cleared.
Which One Is Triggering My Symptoms?
If there’s a fire nearby and you have a runny nose, you may wonder whether it’s from smoke or allergies. The answer is: probably a bit of both. Your nose may be exposed to two irritants at once, leading to a more severe response.
Consider that wildfire smoke will affect the throat and lungs much more than allergies will, so if you’re experiencing a scratchy throat, hoarseness and excessive coughing, that’s probably from the smoke. Also, check your environment: if your symptoms get worse during the morning or improve after taking a shower, it’s probably allergies, but if you can smell smoke and people around you without allergies are also experiencing symptoms, it’s probably the smoke.
How to Find Relief
For allergies, use antihistamines to mute the immune system response and decrease the frequency of reactions. Allergy eye drops can also help with reducing redness and itchiness in the eyes. For smoke, antihistamines won’t be much of a help; instead, use cough drops, turn on a humidifier and stay indoors as much as possible. To know for sure, you can get an allergy test to confirm. Call us at California Sinus Centers today to learn more!