There are dozens of hormones in our bodies, but the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone seem to be the biggest players in allergies.
“In research, estrogen, which is typically higher in women, has demonstrated the ability to make the immune system respond more strongly to [allergens],” Locke says. “Whereas testosterone, which is typically higher in men, has the ability to calm some allergy cells.” More research is needed to understand how each hormone may affect various allergic conditions.
This difference may potentially explain how males and females respond to allergens as they grow up, he says. And it could also at least partly explain why the hormone fluctuations that occur throughout a woman’s life may affect allergy symptoms.
“When it comes to periods, some women notice their asthma gets worse a few days before and after their period starts,” when estrogen and progesterone levels are low, Locke says. “Their lungs become more sensitive and reactive during that time.” Research has noted that across the menstrual cycle, there can be significant changes to asthma severity and lung function.
On the other hand, hormonal changes during the follicular and ovulation phases of the menstrual cycle (when estrogen levels climb) can worsen allergic rhinitis (including seasonal allergies) and eczema.
About one-third of women with eczema or allergic rhinitis have worse symptoms during pregnancy, says Maureen George, PhD, a professor of nursing at Columbia University Irvine Medical Center in New York City and spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. And some women with asthma experience worse symptoms during pregnancy, too.
But menopause may offer some relief: Rates of allergic rhinitis tend to fall during this time, possibly due to declining estrogen levels. And asthma rates drop, too, although using hormone replacement therapy increases the risk for this condition.
Read the full article here
