Allergies can manifest themselves in many forms, thereby causing sneezing, coughing, swelling and hives. Each of these symptoms takes a toll on our health and makes us feel tired. Sneezing and coughing often can in itself drain us of our energy and make us feel sleepy and lethargic. Swelling in the body and fluid formation caused by allergens often cause body ache and heaviness. This article will explain how allergies cause extreme fatigue and the different ways to control them. Causes Sleepiness When allergies become a part of our daily lives, it can severely affect our sleep and make us feel restless and agitated. Fatigue has different effects on children and adults, wherein adults usually are more alert about these symptoms and are able to take corrective measures. On the contrary, children who suffer from constant allergies, often find it hard to sleep and always seem rather alert. However, the difference lies in the behavioral changes which begin to show more often in such children. For instance, these children will show a gradual fall in concentration abilities and will not be performing as well as they used to. They will be rather aggressive, more irritable and feel sudden pangs of sleepiness while in class or anytime during the day. These minor symptoms have to be identified by the parents as the children will rarely understand what is going wrong with them! Allergy Medication Side Effects Allergy medication which contain antihistamines, will always make you feel drowsy and weak. Even though these medications make you sleep for hours, they make you feel even more tired. Secondly these medications are of no help when it comes to alleviating the congestion in the nasal cavity and the chest, which in turn simply causes the vicious cycle to continue, causing us to take more drowsy medications. A more suitable option would be to go in for decongestant medications, which will help reduce the blockage in the respiratory system. These medications do not contain sedatives and thus allow us to carry on with our daily schedule, while we are simultaneously treated. Decongestant Induced Sleep Deprivation Even though decongestants help bring about some relief while breathing, these medications have a contrary affect, as compared to sedative antihistamines. Decongestants deprive people of sleep, thereby making it very difficult for them to get enough hours of rest during the night. They spend the initial hours tossing and turning in their beds, while trying to sleep. This can lead to allergic tension fatigue syndrome, which makes the person aggressive, agitated and snappy for trivial reasons. Causes Sleep Apnea Sleep apnea manifests itself in the form of snoring, which is a common side effect of a cold or allergy induced mucus blockage. Nonetheless, snoring takes a lot of energy out of a person, as it requires more energy to breathe in and out. The effort put into snoring is much more as compared to a normal individual in an REM sate of sleep, where he or she is in deep, comfortable and deep sleep. People who snore are not resting their bodies and minds, and will thus be more prone to fatigue and exhaustion, during the day. Head Cold and Headaches Persistent sneezing inevitably causes severe headaches and head congestion. It takes a lot out of the individual, who is suffering from allergy induced bouts of sneezing. The nasal tract and the head feels blocked and heavy, thereby causing severe fatigue. The best solution in such a situation is to sleep and take ample amounts of rest. Preventive Measures to Reduce Allergy Induced Fatigue

• You can always try non-medicinal methods for reducing congestion, such as using vaporizers, steam baths, etc.
• Herbal remedies too can help a great deal in reducing allergic reactions.
• You will need to take precautionary measures to avoid allergens in your immediate environment. These include keeping pollen, dust and mites away by using mite proof covers, avoiding humidity in the house, keeping the place free of dust and insects etc.
• Catching up on as much sleep as you think you require, until you begin to feel better.
• Consuming foods which will help increase your immunity and resistance to allergens and allergic reactions.
• Exercising will help make you feel energized, and more alert. It will also help strengthen your immune system.

It is very important to be aware of the causes of fatigue due to an allergic reaction, because the same can affect you or your loved ones. Most people rarely ever realize that they may be suffering from fatigue because of their allergies, as they never correlate the two and make the association.