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Allergies Dampen Sex Lives

THURSDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Having allergies can take a toll on your sex life, new research shows.

When polled, 83 percent of people with allergic rhinitis said it affected their sexual activity at least sometimes, with almost 18 percent of those affected saying their allergies nearly always got in the way of a satisfying sex life.

"I was kind of surprised that it made that much of a difference," said study author Dr. Michael Benninger, chairman of the Head and Neck Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

Commercials for allergy relief products tend to focus on helping people get back to enjoying an active lifestyle, such as taking their kids to the park, Benninger said. Rarely is there mention of sex lives, and that could be because it's an area that has been studied so little, he noted.

Allergic rhinitis, also called hay fever, affects 10 to 40 percent of the U.S. population, according to the researchers. Symptoms include a runny nose, congestion and sinus pressure. Those affected are reacting to indoor or airborne allergens such as pollens and dust mites.

Benninger's team also found that allergic rhinitis was linked with sleep problems, which other studies have found as well.

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