Allergies and Cold Weather

I have this health issue for the entire time I have been working in my current j0b. Our office is naturally air-conditioned (natural nman yUn db?). My problem is that when I am at work I always experience nasal congestion because of the cold temperature but when I get out from the office and would begin to feel warm my nose gets better. It even gets worst if it's really cold and it could cause continuous sneezing. I'm really concern about it now, and always been finding solutions to solve it. I couldn't be like this forever, will I? I even took meds before, but it just doesn't work. It's really a nuisance. Now, I cannot go to work without bringing a tissue with me. Maybe because I have allergies, I think it's causing all this. So as long as I work in my current job, then I'll also have to suffer having clogged nose for the whole of my shift? Impossible!

Q: My allergies often feel worse after I've been outside in chilly weather. How does the cold affect allergies?

A: Most of us feel sniffly after being outside in the cold for too long. But for allergy sufferers, the combination of the cold and allergy symptoms can be a double whammy. The cold weather doesn't actually cause respiratory allergies, but by replicating allergy symptoms of congestion and runny nose, it can make your allergies feel even worse.

Breathing cold air causes nasal congestion in two ways. First off, the cold air affects an important body defense mechanism called mucus transport, which stimulates an increase in mucus production. In plain English, the cold makes your nose run – a way of fending off any nasal intruders which might try to venture in. Second of all, cold air affects the tissue in your nose. It's your nose's job to warm or cool the air you breathe to your body temperature – 98.6 degrees. When you're breathing frosty cold air, that's a tough job. The capillaries in your nose tissue dilate, bringing warm blood to heat the cold air. Dilated capillaries mean swollen tissue, and more nasal congestion and stuffiness.