Post Nasal Drip? Or High Estrogen? Dr. Debbie Smrz You are not imagining it—your allergy symptoms do get worse depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle. Allergies and asthma symptoms can fluctuate with your periods, a fact not widely recognized but critical to women’s health. Most cells in your body have estrogen receptors, including mast cells and eosinophils (white blood cells that respond to allergens and cause symptoms). During times that you experience hormonal imbalance, such as around your period, ovulation, pregnancy, or during perimenopause—what I like to call the mad chaos of hormones—it is fairly common to see flare-ups in allergic symptoms. There is a specific [...]