As doctor Stephen Ilardi, a world-known medical expert and neurologist said, if the benefits of exercise could be somehow put in a pill, it would be the best-sold medicine in the world. And it’s not without good reason – the pros of exercising regularly range from improved overall health and decreased risk of cardiovascular illnesses to mental health benefits and even antidepressant properties. However, certain conditions, including allergies, can cause an individual to become more cautious and eventually abandon exercising altogether out of fear that it may worsen the symptoms.

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This is not completely unfound – in some situations, physical strain can indeed cause exacerbation of symptoms of allergy or asthma, but there are ways to go around this issue and get all the benefits of exercise without risking worsening of your condition.

Avoiding allergens – the number one problem

Once allergy diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor is likely to advise you to try and avoid exposure to allergens as this is the single most effective prevention method, especially when it comes to allergies to airborne allergens such as pollen. Responses caused by these irritants are usually called allergic rhinitis or hay fever.

How pollen causes an allergic reaction?

People susceptible to pollen allergies can experience an allergic reaction marked by sneezing and swelling of the face and airways after breathing in pollen particles. Hay fever is most likely to be experienced during the UK’s warmer months as this is the period of the year when most grasses and plants are in flowering season. These allergens act as triggers for as much as 95% of all people affected by hay fever, making them especially susceptible during the period from early May to mid-September. Since pollen is present in the air pretty much throughout the year, avoiding exposure to it involves gaining knowledge of which type of pollen you react to and when is it at its highest concentration in the atmosphere.

The danger of food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis

While hay fever maybe is the number one concern when it comes to exercising, it is far from being the only risk factor. Some people might actually experience an allergic reaction simply because of the physical strain. This condition is called exercise-induced anaphylaxis or EIA for short. People struggling with this condition should avoid aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines and alcohol in the hours prior to exercising.

EIA can also manifest in its more complex form called food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (or FDEIA for short) that can be brought on by the combination of consumption of a certain type of food and exercise, with either of the two not causing any symptoms on its own.

When it comes to these conditions, your doctor should be able to offer you personalised advice on managing EIA or FDEIA while still getting enough exercise. For these conditions there are no general answers and every plan will have to be customised to accommodate an individual’s specific needs and requirements.

Alternative exercise routines

While the possibility of experiencing anaphylaxis just because of exercising is enough for most to cause well-justified fear of engaging in physical activity, medical experts strongly agree that this is in no way reason to avoid working out altogether. Instead, you should adapt your routine in different ways to ensure safety. This might include, for example, exercising indoors instead of outside during the middle hours of the day when the pollen concentration is at its highest.

Of course, finding your perfect exercise routine will take some time and you should not get discouraged by that. There are different methods you can try, for example, swapping running on the open road for a treadmill in the gym or start swimming if you are looking for a low-impact full body workout.

While training out in the open is a lovely opportunity to get some fresh air, this is highly risky for those affected by hay fever. So when pollen levels are high, it is better to stay inside in order to prevent symptoms of an allergic reaction including breathing difficulties and potential anaphylactic shock. This is why checking for pollen levels in your city should become your daily habit.

Precautions when exercising outside

If you just don’t want to give up exercising outside, there are certain precautions you can take in order to minimise the risk of experiencing an allergic reaction. For starters, you should obtain a nasal balm or barrier spray that can help prevent pollen from entering the nostrils. Wrap-around sunglasses can also be highly efficient in preventing the allergens from coming into contact with your eyes.

Additionally, taking a daily non-sedating antihistamine as nasal steroid spray can help curb the symptoms before they manage to develop further, potentially into anaphylaxis. If you have asthma, having a reliever inhaler at hand is absolutely necessary when working out. Finally, following exercise you should be sure to change clothes, shower and wash your hair as soon as you get home in order to remove any potential pollen particles that might be present on your clothes or body.

Planning ahead

When it comes to successfully managing your allergies without that having an impact on your exercise routine, planning ahead is your number one priority. If you decide to exercise outside with the precautions that have already been discussed, you should also plan your route in advance to avoid any areas with high grass or abundance of the trees. In addition to this, high rise areas of the city should also be avoided because of the pollution characteristic of them.

Of course, as has been mentioned, you should regularly check the pollen count and pollen forecast so you can schedule your working out sessions for the days when the levels of pollen in the air are low.

How can exercise induce symptoms of an allergic reaction?

By this point we know what you might be thinking and the answer is no, you cannot be allergic to exercise. The reason why working out can sometimes exacerbate the symptoms of an allergic reaction is simple – during intense physical strain, the body will pump blood faster throughout the body causing the allergens to be introduced into the system at a faster rate. These allergic reactions can be very problematic if swollen airways also occur since it will become borderline impossible to breathe in sufficient amount of oxygen needed for high level of exertion characteristic of exercising.

A final note

Experiencing an anaphylactic shock or an asthma attack during exercise is certainly a scary and very dangerous experience and the risk is even higher if you don’t follow the precautions discussed here. But, medical experts agree that the benefits of working out can still outweigh the risks provided that an individual approaches exercising responsibly with all the relevant precautions.