Allergy symptoms, I seem to have them! Could it be that I might have allergies? you might ask yourself.

This is a good question because it is easy to assume that your symptoms might be an allergy when it isn’t, or isn’t an allergy when it may well be.

Allergy symptoms are the clues that indicate that your immune system is reacting to allergens.

There are many clues which might indicate allergies, but they are often extremely hard to read. Just because one person has certain symptoms, does not mean to say that someone else with those symptoms is allergic to the same thing, or in deed anything at all. Two people with the same allergy may have different symptoms.

Here are a list of symptoms to look out for. Just one or two symptoms may or may not mean anything. If you have several symptoms that don’t make sense when taken together, it could be an indication that you have allergies. There could be other causes as well of course.

Feel free to leave a comment with any symptoms missing here.

Head

• Headaches
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Memory problems
• Runny nose
• Sore, itchy, scratchy, puffy or burning eyes
• Sneezing
• Tinnitus (ringing ears)
• Visual disturbances

Mood

• Brain fog
• Depression
• Hyperactivity
• ADD/ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
• Lack of motivation

Skin

• rash
• Eczema*
• Hives
• Itchiness
• Changes in skin colour/skin discolouration

* There are conflicting views as to whether eczema is an allergy symptom or not.

Digestion

• Nausea
• Indigestion
• Flatulence
• Abdominal pain/stomach upset
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Loose stools
• Undigested food in stools

Note: See the Bristol Stool Scale to evaluate different types of stool. Not pretty, but when you notice, you should know.

Respiratory

• Asthma
• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent cough

Other

• Disrupted sleep patterns
• Insomnia
• Lack of physical energy
• Lack of mental energy
• Sinusitis
• Nasal polyps
• Anaphylaxis
• Swelling (in any part of the body)