Spring is here and young men’s thoughts are turning to love and sex - and allergies. Surprisingly, most men don’t know that a healthy penis can be impacted by a common allergy. Following proper penis care can help, but sometimes a guy may have to choose between hay fever management and a roll in the hay.

Allergies are common

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, some 50 million Americans (about 30% of adults) suffer from hay fever (also called allergic rhinitis). That explains why, at peak seasons, it seems like, everywhere one turns, he finds sneezing, red eyes, runny noses and itchy mouths.

Some people are susceptible to hay fever year-round. Others are more likely to experience it at certain times of the year when pollen or other airborne triggers are more prevalent.

There are a number of options that are usually pursued to manage allergies like hay fever. One of the most common is the use of antihistamines.

More than a drowsy effect.

Antihistamines have a well-deserved reputation for causing drowsiness in those that take them. Many men who down the antihistamines for allergy relief find themselves feeling a little too drowsy to engage in vigorous sexual activity. After all, when a guy is sleepy, he’s simply not as likely to be "in the mood."

But antihistamines do more than just cause a general drowsiness. The way they work involves targeting the central nervous system and telling it to calm down, to get a little drowsy itself. This is to help it ignore the external stimulus that results in sneezing and coughing.

That’s great, but that same central nervous system is also responsible for picking up on the erotic stimuli that are useful in telling the penis that it’s time to get hard. So a guy may have a healthy penis, but his nervous system may have been put into a "doze" state by an antihistamine and may therefore no longer respond as readily or as fully as desired.

Add pseudoephedrine…

But wait, there’s more! Often an antihistamine will be used in conjunction with pseudoephedrine to deliver a one-two punch to allergies. But guess what? Pseudoephedrine is what is called a vasoconstrictor. That means that one of its effects is to cause blood vessels to constrict. When this happens, less blood gets through. One of the key components for a sexually aroused penis is blood vessels that are open so that plenty of blood can rush in to create the necessary firmness.

So, a man with allergies often takes medication that includes an antihistamine and pseudoephedrine, which helps to treat his allergies but also results in general drowsiness, a "dampened" desire and constricted blood vessels that discourage appropriate blood flow.

What to do

Ideally, a man wants to avoid taking these medication s any time that he is expecting to get the opportunity for a little bedtime action. It’s also a good idea to discuss with a doctor alternative treatments that won’t have a potentially negative impact on an otherwise healthy penis. Many people recommend natural treatments for hay fever, such as taking gingko, red clover and yarrow - so consult with a doctor about these options as well.

Of course, treating allergies isn’t the only step to maintaining a healthy penis. Men also should regularly apply a top-drawer penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil) to the tool. During allergy season, the itchiness common to allergies can even spread to the groin. A crème that contains a high-end emollient such as Shea butter is well-poised to help relieve that itchiness and the skin irritation that itching can bring. In addition, finding a crème that includes among its ingredients L-arginine is a definite plus. L-arginine plays a key role in creating nitric oxide, which in turn is helpful in opening up penile blood vessels for a more ample blood flow level.