With the season of sniffling and sneezing in full swing, you may be surprised to discover that what you thought you knew about seasonal allergies may not be true. You’re hardly alone. An estimated 40 to 60 million people in the U.S. suffer from allergic rhinitis (aka hay fever), according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, and yet many have misconceptions about seasonal allergies.

“One of the biggest misconceptions people have about allergic rhinitis is that it’s a trivial condition — it’s certainly not trivial to the people who have it,” says Dr. Michael Schatz, an allergist/immunologist at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Diego and past president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. “Besides causing considerable discomfort, seasonal allergies can disrupt sleep and cause fatigue and lost productivity.”

Here are six other things many of us don’t realize about seasonal allergies.

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[See: 8 Secrets of People Who Don’t Get Sick.]

[See: 16 Ways Your Body Adjusts to a New Climate.]

[Read: What It’s Like Being Allergic to Water.]

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6 Things You May Not Know About Seasonal Allergies originally appeared on usnews.com