North Richmond Today

• Allergy symptoms include sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes and an itchy nose, eyes, or mouth.
• Allergy symptoms, such as itchy eyes, can be caused by inflammation.
• Some treatment options include over-the-counter medications, nasal sprays and immunotherapy.

More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies every year, and allergies are the sixth-most-common cause of chronic illness in the U.S., according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, can be either seasonal or perennial and can cause sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes and an itchy nose, eyes or mouth.

In adults, chronic sinusitis is often linked to nasal swelling caused by allergies, especially allergies to inhaled dust, mold, pollen or the spores of fungi, according to Harvard Medical School.

Allergy symptoms, such as itchy eyes, can be caused by inflammation, which is a result of the body attempting to protect itself from allergens, according to MBG Health. When someone is exposed to an allergen, the body's natural stress response is to secrete hormones such as cortisol and chemicals like histamine, but studies have shown that those secretions can lead to inflammation, which in turn makes allergy symptoms, as well as asthma, even worse.

"The paranasal sinuses, the nose, and the airway are linked because of airflow and because of their mucosa and how they react to allergens and other agents that could irritate either one," Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told North Richmond Today. "What we know is if a patient has allergic rhinitis at a young age as a child, and it's not managed, they can then form asthma. Also, we know that with chronic sinusitis, with the inflammatory mediators, some believe that gets into the lungs, and that creates a problem with asthma. Some believe that chronic sinusitis with infection can leak into the airway and drip into the lungs and cause pulmonary issues. So there's a direct link, and then that can exacerbate asthma."

Depending on the type and severity of your allergies, your doctor could recommend various treatment options, according to Mayo Clinic. Some treatment options are over-the-counter medications, nasal sprays, immunotherapy or -- for very severe allergies -- carrying an emergency epinephrine shot, such as an EpiPen.

Readers experiencing sinus issues are invited to take a Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz from Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.