AboutKathleen MacNaughton Expertise As a registered nurse and health educator, as well as a person living with nasal allergies, eczema, allergic asthma, and eye allergies, I can answer questions related to allergy symptoms, triggers, diagnosis, and treatment.
Experience I have lived with severe nasal, eye, and skin allergies all of my life. I also have allergic asthma. In addition, I have been an RN for more than 30 years and have spent the last 10 years as a consumer health educator, both offline and online, specializing in the areas of allergies and asthma.
Publications About.com (asthma), HealthCentral.com (asthma and allergy networks), RhinocortAqua.com, EverydayKidz.com
Education/Credentials Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Syracuse University.
Question Hello, how are you going? My name is Christina and I live in Australia. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I have got hayfever and puffy sinuses at the moment, and red itchy eyes. Do you know of some natural treatments for these things? Also, I read that people who have hayfever and sinusitis gets depressed and fatigue. I have got that now too. Why do you think depression and fatigue come along too with these illnesses? Thanks heaps for your time, I do appreciate it a lot. Kind Regards, from Christina
Answer Hi Christina,
Sorry to hear you've been under the weather. Sounds as though you may have fall seasonal allergies... it IS autumn Down Under, correct? If so, the best "natural" thing you can do is try to remove the triggers from your environment, or avoid them best you can. In the fall, likely triggers are molds and ragweed (or the equivalent Australian fall weed).
To avoid mold, avoid walking through damp, fallen leaves or working in the soil. To avoid weed pollens, stay indoors on windy, dry, warm days; don't hang clothes to dry outdoors and use air conditioning in home and car, when possible.
In terms of how you're feeling mentally/emotionally, think about it. You're not feeling well, so chances are, you're not sleeping well either. Allergy symptoms often interfere with sleep. So it's natural that you're feeling fatigued. And when we don't feel well, it's also common to feel a bit down in the dumps too.
However, if you are taking Singulair and are feeling sad, blue, or thinking about suicide, be sure to call your doctor RIGHT AWAY. Singulair may be linked to suicide in a few people, so alternatives may need to be considered.
