Menopause & Allergies: Raising Awareness This Menopause Awareness Month

AllergyRhino
6 days ago
3 min read

October marks Menopause Awareness Month: a time to spotlight the experiences of women across the UK as they navigate this pivotal life transition.

At AllergyRhino, we’re focusing on an often-overlooked side effect of menopause: how hormonal changes can trigger or worsen allergies, from hay fever and asthma to skin sensitivities and histamine intolerance.

Why Do Allergy Symptoms Change During Menopause?

Menopause isn’t just about hot flushes and mood changes. It’s a full-body transformation and for many women, that includes unexpected shifts in their immune system.

Declining levels of oestrogen and progesterone can make the body more reactive to common triggers like pollen, dust mites, animal dander, and even certain foods. This means that even women who’ve never had allergies before can suddenly experience sneezing fits, nasal congestion, or worsening eczema and asthma.

The Hormonal Connection – Histamine and Immune Sensitivity

So, why do allergies seem to flare during menopause?

The key lies in histamine, the chemical that drives most allergic reactions.

When oestrogen drops, the body’s ability to regulate histamine changes too. Lower oestrogen can mean higher histamine activity, leading to symptoms such as:

Itchy or irritated skin
Watery eyes and sneezing
Sinus congestion or pressure
Worsening asthma or wheeze

If you already live with allergies, these hormonal shifts can make symptoms stronger and harder to predict.

Are Menopausal Allergies Different?

Yes. Many women find their allergies become less predictable around menopause.

Flare-ups may occur outside traditional allergy seasons or seem triggered by new irritants. Hormonal fluctuations alter immune balance, which can cause stronger, longer-lasting reactions.

Common symptoms include:

Wheezing, coughing or shortness of breath
Skin rashes or hives
Heightened sensitivity to perfumes or foods
More frequent sinus infections or congestion

Keeping a daily symptom diary can help you and your clinician identify new patterns and tailor treatment.

Histamine Intolerance: The Hidden Menopause Challenge

Another under-recognised issue is histamine intolerance: when your body struggles to break down histamine effectively.

This can happen during menopause as oestrogen levels fall and the enzymes that clear histamine become less active.

Women with histamine intolerance may experience:

Headaches or facial flushing
Digestive upset and bloating
Skin redness or itching
Fatigue and sleep disturbance

If these symptoms sound familiar, it’s worth speaking to your GP or a menopause specialist for further assessment.

Practical Tips for Navigating Menopause and Allergy Change

Track your symptoms – Noting when and where they appear helps reveal patterns.
Stay ahead of triggers – Use AllergyRhino’s pollen map for daily pollen alerts, keep windows closed on high-count days, and wash bedding regularly at 60°C.
Review your medication – If over-the-counter antihistamines or sprays aren’t enough, ask your GP about prescription options.
Look after your environment – HEPA air filters, regular vacuuming, and avoiding strong fragrances can make a big difference.
Don’t ignore worsening asthma – Hormonal changes can heighten asthma risk. Always carry your preventer and reliever inhalers.

When to Consider Immunotherapy

For women whose allergies become persistent or more severe during menopause,

AllergyRhino’s immunotherapy can offer lasting relief by tackling the root cause—not just the symptoms.

Unlike antihistamines or nasal sprays that provide short-term control, immunotherapy retrains your immune system to become less reactive to allergens such as grass pollen, dust mites, or pet dander.

At AllergyRhino, we use sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT): a clinically proven treatment taken as a daily spray under the tongue. This method safely delivers small, controlled doses of the allergen to build long-term immune tolerance over time.

The treatment is simple to use at home, and most patients complete a three-year course, with benefits that last for many years afterwards.