Anderson Reporter

• The 26th annual Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill will take place in Washington, D.C., on May 3.
• People with allergies and asthma will have the opportunity to meet with lawmakers.
• The event is free, but registration is required.

The 26th annual Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill will be held May 3 in Washington, D.C, where people who suffer from allergies or asthma can meet with lawmakers and share their stories. People who attend will be able to ask lawmakers to support related legislation, share their personal stories, and learn about the latest research and what impact it can have on public health policy, according to the Allergy & Asthma Network.

The schedule for attendees will include an advocacy training breakfast, in-person advocacy meetings with members of Congress and their staff, and a lunch briefing with members of the Congressional Asthma & Allergy Caucus. Allergists and federal agency representatives will also take part in the lunch briefing. Participation is free, but attendees must register.

Dr. Anthony Sanders of Indianapolis Sinus Center says that allergies can cause unpleasant side effects, such as sinus infections.

"Allergies are a form of nasal inflammation caused by environmental things that you inhale that trigger the allergic response. This can cause problems with nasal inflammation, swelling, drainage and symptoms that sometimes are similar to chronic sinusitis," Sanders told Anderson Reporter. "In addition, people who have poorly controlled allergies tend to get nasal swelling. And oftentimes if your sinus openings are too small to allow infection to drain out, then that's when you have problems with chronic sinus infections."

More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, and allergies are the sixth-most-common cause of chronic illness in the U.S., according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, can be either seasonal or perennial and can cause sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes and an itchy nose, eyes or mouth.

Allergy symptoms, such as itchy eyes, can be caused by inflammation, which is a result of the body attempting to protect itself from allergens, according to MBG Health. When someone is exposed to an allergen, the body's natural stress response is to secrete hormones like cortisol and chemicals like histamine, but studies have shown that those secretions can lead to inflammation, which in turn makes allergy symptoms and asthma even worse.

If you're interested in learning more about the symptoms of allergies and sinusitis, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.