FitSugar

You Asked: My Nose Runs When I Do Cardio

FitSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Dear Fit,
Whenever I do any type of cardio, whether it be running, biking, or indoor tennis, my nose runs like a faucet. I always work out with some tissues stuffed in my sports bra strap! I don't have seasonal allergies. My nose just runs when I get my heart pumping. Why does this happen and is there anything I can do to prevent it?
-Runny Nosed Runner

How annoying for you! To hear what's causing your runny nose and what you can do about it,

This is a pretty common condition called exercise-induced rhinitis. I know it sounds strange, but for some people, working out can trigger allergic reaction symptoms such as congestion, sinus pain, runny nose, headaches, itchy eyes, asthma, hives or other rashes, and in rare cases, even anaphylaxis. Exercise itself can be the sole trigger (especially vigorous exercise), but sometimes it's the combination of exercise plus another trigger such as pollen or cold weather that produces symptoms.

If the symptoms really bother you, it may help to see your doctor to get a prescription nasal spray. You'll have to take it for a week or so to start seeing results, and you'll have to keep taking it to keep your nose from running and ruining your workout. Or it may help to take an over-the-counter allergy medication such as Claritin or Zyrtec about an hour before exercising. If you'd rather not take medication, you'll just have to continue to keep tissues stashed in your sports bra.

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Does Your Nose Run When You Exercise?

FitSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:00:00 PDT

If you find that your nose runs when you exercise, you're not alone. The condition is called exercise-induced rhinitis, and it's actually pretty common among athletes. I know it sounds strange, but for some people, working out can trigger congestion, sinus pain, runny nose, headaches, itchy eyes, asthma, hives, and in rare cases, even anaphylaxis. Exercise itself can be the sole trigger, but sometimes it's the combination of exercise plus another trigger such as pollen or cold weather that produces symptoms.

Does this sound familiar? Tell me . . .

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Got Allergies? Don't Get Mad - Get HOT

FitSugar — Fri, 04 May 2007 12:30:00 PDT

Spring has bloomed all over and when I went to pick up my allergy medicine from the pharmacy yesterday, they were actually all out! You know that's because tons of people are suffering and reaching for drugs to deal with their symptoms.

Allergies affect people differently, so if you get a stuffy nose, congestion in your sinuses and fluid in your lungs, you could take decongestants, but they'll end up drying you up everywhere (even your lady business). Plus they can make you feel kind of spaced-out and tired.

Using a neti pot like the Rhino Horn can be really helpful at clearing your nose and sinuses, but if you're majorly plugged up, the water won't be able to flow from one nostril to the other.

You've got to get your heart pumping, girl! Doing any type of cardio consistently for at least 20 minutes (or more) will heat up your body, get you sweating, and get that fluid and congestion in your face and chest moving.

Running, biking, hiking, swimming, Ashtanga Yoga, using cardio machines, or taking cardio classes (like kickboxing) are all great choices.

Fit's Tips: Whatever you do, make sure you pack some tissues so when your nose starts to run; you can blow it (don't sniff it back in). If you've got congestion in your lungs, you'll end up coughing up some mucus too (I know that sounds gross but it's better to cough it up than have it sitting in your chest, right?). Staying hydrating will help too.

Source

Who is Sick in Your Neighborhood?

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 03:00:00 PDT

I don't know if it's my hidden hypochondriac's tendencies or what, but sometimes I get totally freaked out when the person next to me sneezes. Is it just a cold? Is it worse? I saw the movie Outbreak and it sure wasn't pretty...

Sure, this may be an issue I need to work out on my own time, but if you're like me and wondering what sort of bug is going around your neighborhood, I have the perfect site for you.

WhoIsSick.org is a site where you can go and either enter your information if you've been feeling a bit under the weather. Or you can search to see what kind of sicknesses others have been reporting in your neighborhood. This site is to be taken lightly, but interesting nonetheless. I knew I needed to stop searching zip codes when I read someone 20 miles from me posted: "I started bleeding from all parts of my body today." Like I said, take it with a grain of salt but check it out at WhoIsSick.org.

Mediterranean Diet and Allergies: Go Nuts

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:30:20 PDT

Are your allergies going nuts right now? Well the answer might be to eat more nuts. New findings seem to indicate that eating a Mediterranean style diet can reduce respiratory allergy symptoms like wheezing, runny nose and sneezing.

Britain's Royal Brompton Hospital and National Heart and Lung Institute conducted research on 690 children between ages 7-18 on the island of Crete. The children that ate at least 2 servings of fruit a day as well as nuts were less likely to suffer from childhood respiratory allergies and asthma compared to those children that ate the most margarine.

The local produce on Crete is mainly grapes, apples, oranges and tomatoes and these were the fresh foods the children were predominantly eating. Researchers also noticed a relationship between nuts and and a reduction of these symptoms.

"A high consumption of nuts was found to be inversely associated with wheezing, whereas margarine increased the risk of both wheeze and allergic rhinitis (sneezing and runny nose)."

While only children participated in the study I am optimistic that this diet will help adults too. I sure do hope someone will be conducting a study on this soon.

If you are as intrigued by the Mediterranean style diet as I am, you should check out the food recommendations and food pyramid to learn more about it.

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Antihistamines or Decongestants: Which Does What?

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 04:00:00 PDT

So it's officially Spring (yippee!!) and the snow is melting away. The trees and grass and flowers will begin to grow and bud, and for people with seasonal allergies, this time of year can be a nightmare.

When someone has seasonal allergies, his or her immune system sees pollen as an invader. As a defense mechanism, their body produces histamine, an inflammatory chemical that attaches to the cells in their body and irritates them. The histamines are what cause the sneezing, runny nose, watery and itchy eyes.

When you take an antihistamine (like Benadryl or Claritin), it prevents the histamine from attaching to those cells, and therefore prevents allergy symptoms. Antihistamines can also relieve itchiness caused by insect bites, stings, poison ivy, and poison oak.

This is great, but most Antihistamines have the awful side effect of making you feel really drowsy and out of it. Your head just feels really foggy, like when you have a cold.

Want to know what a decongestant does? Then

Sometimes a person who has allergies can experience different symptoms. They may get an extremely stuffy nose and congested sinuses. This can affect a person's sense of smell and taste. Also, if the sinuses remained plugged, a person could develop a sinus infection, which can cause severe facial pain and headaches.

People with these symptoms might want to take a decongestant (like Sudafed or Allegra D - the "D" stands for decongestant). Decongestants work by narrowing the blood vessels in the lining of your nose. This reduces how much blood flows through the area so that swollen tissue inside the nose shrinks, and air can pass through more easily.

Decongestants work well to de-clog your nose and face, but they make your mouth and throat uncomfortably dry.

Allergies are different for everyone, and different over-the-counter medications may work better than others. You may want to try them all. Some medications combine both antihistamines and decongestants, which could prevent your symptoms, better than they could alone.

Fit's Tips: If you know what you're allergic to, you can work on avoiding that trigger. If you have allergy symptoms, but don't know what specific allergens are affecting you, make an appointment with an Allergist. You can also see one if you've been taking over-the-counter meds and your symptoms are still bothering you.

How to Reduce Pet Allergies

Sara Yoo — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:00:00 PDT

We're in the midst of high pollen season, and here at Sugar HQ, we're trading tips on allergy relief almost as much as monthly must haves. As temperatures rise, flowers and trees aren't the only ones shedding sneeze-causing particles: your pet is busy sloughing off fur and dander which can increase the intensity of itchy eyes and runny noses. Of course, you could research the best hypoallergenic pet breed for your home, but if you've already made a dog or cat a member of your family, here are a few tips on keeping the sneezes at bay!

Source: Flickr User Katie@!

Everyday Activities That Make Your Allergies Worse

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:45:18 PDT

Most of us are psyched for warmer weather, but allergy sufferers are cursing runny noses, congestion, red eyes, and itchy throats. You may not realize it, but here are the everyday things that can aggravate your symptoms.

Exercising outside is a no-brainer when temps start going up, but not so for those allergic to pollen. If you can't bear to skip outdoor workouts, try to exercise early in the morning when pollen counts are lowest. If you decide to exercise outside, be sure to wash your clothes to get rid of pollen and take a shower to rinse allergens out of your hair. If your allergies are really bad, invest in a gym membership or equipment for your home gym - exercising in the AC will make you breathe much easier.
Opening the window to get some fresh air? Don't you dare. Pollen and other allergens blow in where they come in contact with your eyes and nose. Keep the windows in your home, office, and car closed, and definitely don't use a window fan. If you're hot, turn up the air-conditioning.

Keep reading to find out other common things you're doing that can worsen allergies.

10 Signs of Seasonal Allergies in Pets

PetSugar — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:00:00 PDT

Spring 'tis the season for allergy flare-ups for many humans, but what about pets? My pal Samson suffers from some droopy, goopy eyes and itchy, red paws that clued his owner into their dilemma. If you're not sure whether a pooch has an issue like this, check out 10 signs of skin or allergy problems:

Constant paw licking
Rubbing body against objects/ floor
Excessive scratching or chewing fur
Hair loss
Change in odor
Redness of fur and skin rashes
Flaky or greasy coat
Drippy eyes
Runny nose
Increased sneezing and wheezing

While it's true that a variety of illnesses can cause these symptoms, if you see several of them at the same time, now is a good time to take your pet to the vet to get checked for a clean bill of health!

Source: Flickr User The_Poenisher

Allergy Symptoms vs. Cold Symptoms

Susi May — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:21:39 PDT

I lived for years in denial of my seasonal allergies and pretended that the runny nose was just a little cold. But that little cold went on forever.

Needless to day, I have wised up and learned how to sort through symptoms to determine what is causing my runny nose - a virus or pollen. Here is the list comparing the symptoms of the common cold with those that accompany seasonal allergies that should help you figure out what is going on with your nose.

Itchy nose: Although allergies and colds both produce a runny nose and congestion, allergies create the dreaded itchy nose. The itch generally occurs in the back of the nose and is difficult to "scratch." Folks suffering from "nasal pruritus" (the fanciest way in the world to say itchy nose) often scrunch up their faces, like a bunny, to try to alleviate the itch.

The sneeze: Sneezing frequently, and sometimes quietly, is common with allergies. Allergy sneezes are an attempt to remove allergens from the nose. Sneezes from colds tend to be loud, deep, and infrequent, attempting to clear the bronchial congestion down in the lungs.

Unfortunately, the list of symptoms is a bit longer, so keep reading.