Whether it's being outside around dust and pollen - or near a friend's cat - there are times that Megan Sheasby feels like she just can't escape the grip of her allergies.
"My nose completely clogs up, my throat will close sometimes, depending on the type of allergy," she says.
And while it may be Megan's surroundings that triggers her allergies, a new study says it could be stress that's making them worse.
"We found that stress and anxiety make a big difference in terms of allergic responses," says study author Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser.
Researchers put things like pollen and ragweed on the arms of volunteers and monitored their skin.
"If you don't have an allergy, you're just going to see a little bit of redness, temporary and that'll be the end of it," says Kiecolt-Glaser. "But if you're a highly allergic person you're going to get something called a 'wheal.'"
A wheal is a red, puffy area on the skin. It sends a signal to doctors that you're allergic.
In a relaxed setting the reactions were normal. But researchers turned it up a notch to find out how stress would affect those allergic reactions.
Experts asked those same volunteers to give a speech in front of other people and into a microphone.
As the stress level went up, the allergic reaction got worse. In some cases it was two to four times as bad.
"So the take-home message is, if you're allergic, stress and anxiety are a bad combination," say study co-author Dr. Ronald Glaser
For the 20 to 40 per cent of adults who suffer from allergies it may be good advice -- anything you can do to relax and reduce your stress may end up easing your allergies.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Dr. Rhonda Low.
