Why Your Breakfast Might Be Making Your Hay Fever Worse

For hay fever sufferers, the arrival of summer means more than long, warm nights and beach trips. Common allergens that can trigger hay fever symptoms include pollen and dust mites—and besides making you feel miserable and look like you're crying all the time, hay fever can interfere with your work life, social life, and even get in the way of your fun.

Symptoms of hay fever include all the standard cold-like side effects, such as a runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, sneezing and sinus pressure, and they're caused by an allergic reaction.

What if you could mitigate the effects of hay fever first thing in the morning through what you eat for breakfast? Newsweek spoke to Dr. Shuba Iyengar, co-founder and chief medical officer at Allermi, an all-in-one allergy treatment, about the 'most important meal of the day.'

Why Do Some People Get Hay Fever And Others Don't?

If you suffer from hay fever and spend the whole summer walking around with pockets full of nose spray and antihistamine, you are probably jealous of your non-suffering friends and family.

"The exact science behind why some people get hay fever and others don't is not fully understood by scientists yet," said Dr. Iyengar. "The development of hay fever is complex and varies among different people living in different parts of the world."

In 2021, approximately 81 million people in the U.S. suffered from hay fever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Genetics can play a factor, meaning that if both parents suffer from hay fever, then there is a higher chance that their children will develop some type of allergic condition.

Environmental factors can also play a big part, said Dr Iyengar. "Regular exposure to allergens as a baby, such as living in a densely forested or grassy area, may sensitize the immune system and possibly increase one's risk of developing hay fever in response to those allergens later in life."

How Your Breakfast Is Making Your Hay Fever Worse

It's time to put those summer fruit salads and crudité platters down, according to Dr. Iyengar, as they may be making your hay fever worse. From French toast with strawberries to yogurt and blueberries, there are many popular breakfasts involving fresh fruit that may be setting you up for a day of runny noses and streaming eyes.

"Some people with significant environmental allergies can have reactions to certain fresh fruits and vegetables," said Dr. Iyengar. "Symptoms can include itchiness and irritation in the throat and mouth."

The condition is called oral allergy syndrome (OAS), "and is common in people who have significant environmental allergies. OAS occurs because the immune system is overactive and cannot distinguish between pollen proteins and food proteins in the fresh fruits or vegetables. Cooking the vegetables can break down the protein and reduce the effects," she added.

Knowing what specifically triggers your hay fever may be a useful tool in avoiding the breakfast foods that could make it worse.

"For example," explained Dr. Iyengar, "if a person is allergic to birch pollen, they may have a higher likelihood of experiencing OAS to fruits like apples, pears, apricots, kiwis, plums, cherries and peaches, vegetables such as celery and carrots, and nuts such as almonds and hazelnuts.

"If one is allergic to ragweed, they may have a higher likelihood of experiencing OAS to bananas, zucchini, cucumber, melons and sunflower seeds. If someone is allergic to grass pollen, they may have a higher likelihood of reacting to tomatoes, potatoes, peaches, melons or citrus."

Ragweed is a common irritant in the U.S. and appears in late summer and fall in 49 states and can travel hundreds of miles, making it hard to avoid.

While dairy is not directly correlated with hay fever, Dr. Iyengar said that there are some accounts from individuals who noticed that eating dairy products seemed to increase their mucus production. "This could exacerbate the excess mucus produced by inflamed nasal tissue in response to environmental allergy," she added.

This last ingredient may be the worst one for hay fever sufferers to hear, coffee. "Coffee can trigger the release of histamine," said Dr. Iyengar, "a chemical your immune system releases which is known for its role in causing allergy symptoms, hence the need for antihistamines to block the release."

Maybe switch to decaf.

Can You Cure Hay Fever?

Although there is no specific cure for hay fever, there are many treatments that have been developed to manage the symptoms so you can live a normal life, even during peak allergy season.

"Allergen immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots, work to desensitize the immune system to allergic triggers, by exposing the body to tiny amounts of allergen slowly over time," said Dr. Iyengar, "Anti-inflammatory and antihistamine nasal sprays help relieve inflammation in the nasal passages, which helps to alleviate symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, itching, sneezing and post-nasal drip."

The most significant trigger for a fever or seasonal allergies is a heightened exposure to environmental allergens. "When pollen counts are elevated during the spring, summer and fall, spending time outdoors can prove to be challenging for hay fever sufferers. Wearing a mask and even eye protection when outdoors can help prevent some symptoms," advised Dr. Iyengar.

"For those with allergies to indoor triggers, such as dust mite or mold, prolonged exposure to those allergens can worsen symptoms. This can include sleeping in a bedroom with dust mites in the bedding, visiting a friend with a dog or cat, or working in a building that needs a good cleaning of their HVAC system."

Leaving the symptoms of hay fever untreated, mainly nasal inflammation, can make them all worse and lead to more serious issues such as sinus infections.

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