The tens of millions of people that endure from seasonal allergic reactions annually are too aware of signs like sneezing, wheezing, and sniffling. However many do not understand there are many different, extra uncommon methods allergic reactions can present up. “Folks have a preconceived notion of what allergic reactions are, however there’s a lot exterior simply itchy eyes or sneezing,” says Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist at NYU Langone Well being. “It will possibly mimic a number of infections—individuals suppose they’re getting sick with one thing, however it’s really allergic reactions.”

We requested allergists to share among the lesser-known signs they see of their places of work, from black eyes to nasal creases.

A sore throat

Maybe you watched you’re coming down with strep throat. It may really be seasonal allergic reactions. Blame it on post-nasal drip, that beautiful sensation of mucus sliding down the again of your throat. “When your nostril is all blocked up or infected, irritation has nowhere to go, so it begins draining down your throat,” Parikh explains. “That’s what causes the sore throat, or having to clear your throat typically.”

Learn Extra: Why You Instantly Have Allergy symptoms

There are a number of methods to zero in on the possible wrongdoer: When you’ve got extreme throat ache that begins out of the blue and is paired with a fever and swollen tonsils, strep throat is definitely a contender. But when your signs are extra gradual, and also you’ve additionally observed hoarseness or a continual cough, contemplate making an appointment with an allergist.

Clogged ears

When you out of the blue really feel like your ears are plugged—and also you’re not, for instance, on an airplane—you can be coping with allergic reactions. “Your ear, nostril, and throat are all related by the identical tube, so in case your nostril is congested, it may have an effect on your ears and your throat,” Parikh says. When you begin treating your allergic reactions, whether or not that’s with over-the-counter remedy or allergy photographs, your ears ought to return to regular, she provides.

Nostril bleeds

Children are well-known for clawing at their stuffy noses—and generally, that results in an alarmingly bloody mess. “They’re snorting up the snot, and so they’re blowing actually onerous,” says Dr. Cindy Salm Bauer, division chief and medical director of allergy and immunology at Phoenix Kids’s. “That is irritating and dangerous, and naturally the nostril goes to get upset and bleed.”

The answer: utilizing nostril spray. Most individuals, nonetheless, don’t accomplish that accurately. As a substitute of squirting the spray straight again—which may exacerbate nostril bleeds—spray it towards the ear, or laterally on both sides. “It’s bizarre to squirt towards the ear, since you’re like, ‘Actually, the aspect of my nostril?’” Bauer says. However that’s precisely the place it must go to have the ability to do its job.

Snorting, grunting, and different unusual noses

The mother and father of Bauer’s sufferers typically exhibit the bizarre noises their children make—all within the identify of serving to their embarrassed youngsters. “They’re like, ‘Alright, I’ve waited for this appointment. When you’re not gonna do it, I am gonna do it,’” she says. “Then they try to make the noise that the kid makes.”

Usually, these sounds happen due to postnasal drip, which may result in animal-like snorting, grunting, and throat clearing. “It will possibly virtually mimic a tic,” Bauer says. “That’s powerful for some households, when the children are continuously making this noise or ordinary grunt.” As soon as they begin allergy therapy, nonetheless, mother and father usually report a big enchancment.

Exhaustion

People who find themselves affected by seasonal allergic reactions typically expertise fatigue—however don’t understand why they’re so drained. It’s the “No. 1 commonest quality-of-life subject” that Dr. Karen Kaufman, who runs an allergy, bronchial asthma, and immunology follow in Vienna, Va., hears about from sufferers. “They’re choking on mucus all evening lengthy, they’re respiration by their mouth, and so they’re not having restful sleep,” she says. “It results in great quantities of fatigue.”

Learn Extra: Are Allergy Photographs Price It?

Poor sleep can set off bother focusing at work or faculty, in addition to behavioral points amongst children. Bauer describes “aha” visits with households who uncover their children have allergic reactions and shortly see dramatic enhancements in well-being. They return to her workplace and say: “Who would have thought that figuring out and treating allergens would assist my youngster actually behave higher and be happier?”

Undereye circles

Darkish circles underneath your eyes can occur because of allergic rhinitis, or hay fever. If you expertise nasal congestion, and your nostril turns into infected and swollen, “it causes among the blood that is draining underneath your eyes to pool a bit of bit,” says Dr. Jeffrey Chambliss, who focuses on allergy and immunology at UT Southwestern Medical Heart. “We’re seeing darker pigmentation of the pores and skin that’s actually extra blood flow-related and never essentially stemming from an issue in your eye—extra from irritation in your nostril.”

For lots of sufferers, these darkish circles, which resemble a black eye, get higher in tandem with allergy signs. Typically it takes longer to enhance than, say, itching or sneezing, however over time, the blue or purple shade usually fades, he says.

A nasal crease

Along with darkish circles, some individuals with seasonal allergic reactions develop a horizontal line on the underside third of their nostril that’s darker or lighter than their pores and skin tone. It’s often called an allergic salute or a nasal crease, and it’s brought on by rubbing your nostril time and again, Chambliss says. Whereas a horizontal line is commonest, “Some sufferers who actually rub their nostril vigorously can get different shapes,” he provides. “I had a affected person who virtually had an X throughout the tip of their nostril as a result of they’d rub extra in a round movement, moderately than simply up and down.”

Itching, tingling, or gentle swelling in your mouth

Oral allergy syndrome—generally known as pollen-food allergy syndrome—occurs when your physique errors fruits or greens for a pollen that you simply’re allergic to, Chambliss says. When you’re allergic to birch tree pollen, for instance, and go for a wholesome snack like an apple, peach, cucumber, or bell pepper, you can get an itchy, tingling, or burning sensation in your mouth, lips, tongue, and throat. “It’s uncommon that you simply get life-threatening signs, so generally sufferers do not instantly join it to being presumably pushed by an allergy,” he says. “They only say, ‘Nicely, I keep away from it as a result of it makes my mouth really feel humorous.’”