Does anyone else get dizziness/vertigo with hayfever?

[KasparKat]

Since I (very probably but not tested) had covid last March, my hayfever has gone into overdrive. Started in mid Feb this year and at the same time I have also developed dizziness or vertigo (can't figure out which!). Spoke to a locum GP who was very disinterested and said you don't get dizziness with hayfever and it's also not listed on the NHS website as a symptom of hayfever but googling brings up quite a few pages of it being listed as a hayfever symptom.

My main symptoms are itchy, swollen and red eyes, sinus pressure (but not congestion) and sneezing.

Just interested to see if other people get dizziness with hayfever too or if someone else might be going on. I have health anxiety so please don't tell me I have something like a brain tumour or I will believe you 😁

Anxiety can have vertigo symptoms so could it be that and the hayfever is just hayfever.

Yes I wondered if it could be anxiety but I've had anxiety for 10 years and never experienced dizziness or vertigo before (other than when I had labrynthitis). Of course that doesn't mean it isn't anxiety but the dizziness and hayfever started at the same time so I wondered if it was more than a coincidence.

My hay fever is hideous at the moment - worse it’s been in a few years. Hay fever goes in cycles and I wonder if this year is a particularly bad year? I can definitely feel dizzy with it sometimes.

My ds has been treated for pollen allergy and this was listed as a symptom, along with headaches, nausea and fatigue. All symptoms we never even thought to put down to hayfever but when discussed with his consultant realised they were his hayfever.

A quick google says the hayfever season is starting earlier and lasting long due to climate change.
Wonderful.

I have hayfever and suffer from dizziness and occasional vertigo - in my case they don't go together. Do you take medication? Could it be a side effect?

My hayfever has been pretty bad since the Autumn and antihistamines are barely touching it

BTW I think vertigo is when you perceive movement that is not there: you feel that you / the room are spinning, but in reality nothing is moving. These aren't nice symptoms to have and they definitely have a cause so I hope you can get to the bottom of it

Yes!!! I remember frantically Googling this a few years ago!
I have dust allergies and basically i think my sinuses were fucked and it was messing with my vestibular system - so think ear, nose & throat are all connected, and in very basic laymans terms you have like a little spirit level inside your ears (sorry if this isnt fully medically accurate just how I've interpreted it).
So when your spirit level is off kilter you get the vertigo symptoms. Its why we go dizzy after spinning around.
I used to get this sensation where i felt like i was walking on a ship or about to fall over, it was so jarring!
Or looking down a long straight supermarket aisle made me feel just odd!
It was really really weird!

I am feeling really dizzy this year with my hayfever, my sinuses aren’t right at all and the pressure is making me feel rather odd.
I don’t have Covid. Antihistamines don’t seem to be helping but I’m BF so limited in options.

Yes I have really bad sinus pressure as well but no actual congestion. It's right at the top of my nose either side and I sometimes hear a clicking noise in my sinus which results in a slight reduction in pressure but then goes back to strong pressure again. I wonder if the sinus pressure somehow affects my ears and therefore causes dizziness/vertigo?

I've tried all the usual sprays, tablets etc and even bought a humidifier and sinus rinse. Nothing seems to help. I've been prescribed an antihistamine nasal spray (activase I think?) but it's out of stock so no idea when I will get hold of it.

Have to been prescribed fexofenodine OP? It can be a game changer for many people.

Have you worked out what's causing your allergies? It's such a minefield and people can be quite dismissive of allergies like "Hayfever? Isnt that only in June?"

Im religious about keeping my home environment as dust free as possible, avoid chemical air fresheners etc etc it has really helped!

See if certain foods are setting you off?

Allergies can evolve over time too. Weird quirks of our immune systems!

Yes my hayfever doubled in intensity after having covid. Very odd but one of the questions on the Zoe app symptom list is increase in allergies.

Mine is definitely tree pollen. I had itchy eyes in February as soon as the snow melted. Thought it was weird but didn't even consider hayfever as it was so early. Then a week later I went for a walk in a wood and when I got home the whites of my eyes were red and swollen and the skin around my eyes was massively swollen like I had two black eyes.

The GP I spoke to said to try this antihistamine spray before fexofenadine as most of my symptoms are in my eyes and sinuses and the spray will hopefully act directly on this. She was a bit dismissive though so didn't feel much faith in her.

Interested to hear from other people who have dizziness with hayfever.

Yes. I get vertigo when I get hay-fever. Very weird.

Anyone else?

Not personally, but many people with MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) &/or Histamine Intolerance do, plus a range of other very unpleasant symptoms.

Try a low histamine diet alongside antihistamines or Fexo or mast cell stabilisers.

Have you joined any FB Long Covid groups? They can be very supportive.

Also there are discussions around a potential connection between Long Covid & MCAS .
www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m3981/rr-0

I haven't had Covid, but have suffered intense dizziness + vertigo + allergies, for years post-viral, so you have my every sympathy

hey!this is exactly me i have major vertigo and dizziness with hayfever!i had covid in jan this year and my gosh my balance has been awful ever since and so has my hayfever i thought it's just me but i do think they are connected!im taking loratadine daily but not helping x are u feeling better?

Just came across this. I get dizziness and vertigo with hayfever. My sinuses inflame which then has a knock on effect on my ears and vestibular system. The trick is to take the antihistamine that works for you the whole hayfever season to prevent it happening .. don’t leave it until you’re struggling as it’s incredibly hard to get rid of.