Allergies And Stress

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA)--Are your allergies worse than ever--even though you've washed away any allergens and taken the latest remedies? Some researchers say check your stress levels.

Benjamin Norman has noticed his allergies have been flaring up worse than in past years.

"Clogged up, wheezing, runny nose, eyes watering," says Norman.

Allergy stricken and anxious; what does one have to do with the other? A lot according to a study from Ohio State. Researchers set out to show what happens to hay fever sufferers under stress. First they exposed them to allergens then they offered up a challenge.

"To stress these people what we did was bring them into the laboratory and tell them they had five minutes to prepare a speech about why they were the best person for a particular job," says clinical psychologist, Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, Ph.D.

Researchers then compared the size of the wheals, or hive-like reactions, before, during and after stress. The size of the wheals didn't change with people who were not stressed; however that could not be said for those under stress.

"If people were moderately anxious it was about 75% bigger. If they were really anxious, it was about 200% bigger," says Dr. Glaser.

It's well documented that stress impacts the immune system. Researchers now suspect stress causes increased levels of compounds that heighten an allergic response, and the resulting symptoms may be more persistent.

"One of the symptoms will be perhaps runny nose, or symptoms very similar to having a cold so you can treat with typical types of cold medications but you can't use antihistamines, which is typically one of the most effective drugs to use," says Ronald Glaser, PhD, professor of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics at Ohio State.