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Science

Is Obesity Related to Allergic Rhinitis?

Alexander Singh
June 6, 2022

Obesity in adults is often linked to higher chances of nonallergic rhinitis. Similarly, adult obesity is linked to a higher risk of nonallergic rhinitis. The found links are non-statistically significant in female adults but greatly significant in male adults in an analysis. 

Adult allergic rhinitis is greatly linked to obesity or being overweight. Obesity in children, however, is linked to allergies in a smaller number compared to adults. Being obese can easily affect a person's immunity and thus pushing them to be more prone and susceptible to allergies of different sorts, especially the ones associated with lungs and respiratory organs, such as rhinitis. 

What is Rhinitis?

Nonallergic rhinitis is characterized by persistent sneezing or a runny, stuffy nose without a known cause. The signs of nonallergic rhinitis resemble those of hay fever (allergic rhinitis), but they lack the typical signs of an allergic reaction.

Both toddlers and adults can develop nonallergic rhinitis. But after age 20, it becomes increasingly prevalent. Nonallergic rhinitis can be brought on by various factors, such as seasonal changes in weather, specific foods, medications, and chronic health conditions.

After an allergic etiology has been ruled out, nonallergic rhinitis is diagnosed. Blood or skin tests for allergies may be necessary. The definition of rhinitis is "nasal irritation." The mucus is the fluid that the nose generates. Normally, this liquid is transparent and thin. It aids in preventing the inhalation of dust, dirt, and allergies. Dust, pollen, germs, and viruses are all captured by mucus.

Typically, mucus runs down the back of your throat. Due to its small size and thinness, you are frequently unaware of this. An irritated nose may generate more mucus, which thickens and turns pale yellow. The nose's front and rear may start to produce mucus. The mucus may contain substances that aggravate the back of the throat and make you cough. More mucus flowing down the back of the throat causes postnasal drip.

What Are The Symptoms?

It can occasionally be challenging to distinguish between allergies and the typical cold. There are about a hundred different types of cold viruses. You can confuse a cold for a seasonal allergy because both tend to become common at specific seasons. 

Allergies develop annually around the same period and last as long as the allergen is present (usually 2-3 weeks per allergen). Along with other nasal symptoms, allergies also result in itching of the nose and eyes. The nose and eyes don't itch as much when you have a cold, which lasts around a week.

The symptoms of nonallergic rhinitis are likely to fluctuate throughout the year. Nonallergic rhinitis symptoms and signs may include:

  • Itchiness in the eyes and nose
  • Stuffy nose
  • Running nose
  • Sneezing
  • Mucus in the throat

How Does Obesity Affect Your Immune System? 

Obesity-related immune dysfunction or immunological response has been proven in recent studies in human and animal models to raise the risk for different illnesses. This has yet to have a clear cause identified. 

You become more susceptible to infection if you consume excessive calories or have a diet high in sugar and fat. This is due to the possibility that it will raise blood sugar levels or result in oxidative damage. Reactive oxygen species are produced in excess compared to the body's capacity to detoxify cells, causing oxidative damage. This kind of oxygen impairment increases your risk of infection.

You risk developing protein-energy malnutrition if your protein intake is too low. Additionally, there have been major immune system abnormalities linked to this. Contrary to popular belief, deficiencies and malnutrition can occur in people who are obese, and they can also occur due to a poor diet. Therefore, regardless of weight, deficiencies could very well exist in anyone who eats badly.

Steps To Take To Care For Your Health

While many aspects of your health are beyond your control, you should still focus on managing the issues within your power to lead as full a life as possible, even if you have a chronic condition. Two of the major steps working on which you can take care of your health are: 

How To Get Tested For Allergies

Between 40 and 50 million Americans suffer from allergies or asthma. Since these illnesses are so widespread, it may seem that any doctor should be able to deliver the most efficient remedies because the diagnosis and treatment are both simple. But allergists are specialists in their profession and have received specific training, which enables them to:

  • Test for allergies.
  • Determine what is causing your pain.
  • Correctly identify your ailment
  • Do not focus only on treating your symptoms.
  • Create a unique strategy to get rid of your symptoms.
  • Give you the most affordable care possible that achieves the finest results.

Immunotherapy Treatment

Allergy immunotherapy is a form of treatment. It entails giving the patient progressively smaller dosages of an allergen—this aids in increasing one's tolerance for the allergy. The symptoms of allergies are diminished or gone after developing tolerance.

The method by which allergy immunotherapy functions is to progressively increase the allergen's exposure to the patient's immune system. Until a maintenance level is attained, this is done regularly. After immunotherapy is finished, tolerance to the allergen is frequently maintained. The likelihood of long-term success varies from individual to person, though. Immunotherapy can effectively treat the following allergies:

  • Mold allergy
  • Pollen allergies
  • Dust mite allergy
  • Hypersensitivity of insect venom
  • Cockroach allergy
  • Animal dander allergies because of cats and dogs

Can Losing Weight Help With Allergy Symptoms? 

Weight loss is linked to a 48%–100% remission of asthma symptoms and usage of asthma medication in obese people with doctor-diagnosed asthma. Additionally, published studies show that losing weight helps obese asthmatics better control their condition and that weight loss surgery, in particular, has a significant positive impact on asthma severity, medication use, dyspnea, exercise endurance, and acute exacerbations, including hospitalizations for asthma. 

Furthermore, whereas no appreciable changes have been seen in exhaled nitric oxide or other markers of eosinophilic airway inflammation, weight loss in obese asthmatics is related to improvements in lung function and airway responsiveness to inhaled methacholine.

Other Health Issues Obese People Can Face

These issues don't affect all obese people. Your risk increases if you have a history of one of those disorders in your family. Where you weigh may also be important. If your extra weight is predominantly distributed around your stomach, you may be at more risk than if it is distributed mostly around your hips and buttocks. Here are seven ailments associated with being overweight or obese in more detail: 

1. You are more likely to have high cholesterol and blood pressure if you are overweight.
2. The majority of type 2 diabetics are obese or overweight.
3. If you are overweight, gallstones and gallbladder disease are more prevalent.
4. Obesity has been related to colon, breast, endometrial, kidney, and esophagus cancers.
5. Gout, which affects the joints, is more prevalent among fat people.
6. The knee, hip, or back are the most typical joints affected by osteoarthritis. Having more weight puts additional strain on these joints and erodes the cartilage, which normally protects them by cushioning the joints.
7. A breathing disorder called sleep apnea has been linked to obesity.

Why You Should Consider Medical Weight Loss

The goal of medical weight loss is to assist patients in healthily shedding pounds. Medical weight loss may be helpful for anyone who is having trouble losing weight on their own. Both those who have tried and failed to reduce weight through diet and exercise and those with medical issues that make it challenging to lose weight are included in this. The treatment strategy works far better and makes weight loss longer when it includes pharmaceutical and behavior modification components.

You can receive continuing support and supervision through medical weight loss to keep you on track and assist you in achieving your goals. You can feel confident that you are approaching medical weight loss correctly by working with a medical specialist. Medical oversight enhances both short-term and long-term outcomes. It helps hold you accountable to keep you motivated to achieve your objectives of being healthy and having a fit body.