If you’re among the many who suffer from seasonal allergies, you already know that dependable relief is sometimes difficult to find. You stock up on tissues, perhaps take over-the-counter medications that make you sleepy, and still spend springtime sneezing indoors or out.
According to WebMD, two out of every 10 Americans have allergy symptoms. An allergy is an immune response to a substance, called an allergen, that should be benign. Some people react to pollen, some to mold, and some to pet dander. Some react to all of these, and more.
Although allergies are technically an abnormal reaction, they are certainly common.
If you’re still looking for relief that you haven’t been able to pin down, we have some suggestions that may help.
Allergies: 101
For an allergic reaction to start, the allergen has to make contact. If you inhale or swallow it, or get it on your skin or under it, that’s your contact. With spring allergies, you’re usually inhaling allergens, which triggers your body to react.
There’s a lot more going on after contact with an allergen than you might realize. First, your body produces an antibody called immunoglobulin E, or IgE. This binds with the allergen, which attaches to a specific type of blood cell called a mast cell.
Mast cells are normal, and found throughout the body, says WebMd. Their prevalence in the airways is what makes inhaling allergens such a quick trigger for allergy attacks.
Once the allergens and IgE bind, a chemical called histamine is released. If the word “antihistamine” sounds familiar, that’s why. Histamines are the source of most of your symptoms, and antihistamines help block them.
Antihistamines, also called histamine blockers, aren’t the only source of allergy relief. But they are the most common. Several medications are on the market that may give you the relief you’ve been looking for.
Clarinex Gives Relief Year-Round
Clarinex, by Schering-Plough, is an oral medication that works for both seasonal and year-round allergy symptoms. If exposure to pet dander, dust, pollen, and mold trigger itchy and watery eyes, sneezing, and a runny nose, this medication can help.
Each 5 mg Clarinex tablet contains desloratadine, which is an antihistamine. This medication blocks the histamine receptors, which helps you avoid the allergy irritation.
Clarinex won’t make you drowsy. So you won’t have to trade alertness just to get relief from spring allergies. You can take it with or without food, and the dosage is usually once daily.
The side effects are similar to other allergy medications. You may experience sore throat, dry mouth, and a bit of fatigue.
Flonase Targets the Nasal Passages
Flonase takes a different approach to seasonal allergies. Instead of a tablet to swallow, this medication is a fine mist that is applied into the nostrils. Two pumps per nostril each day is all you need. If you’d rather spread out the treatment, you can use one pump per nostril twice a day.
If you want avoid antihistamines, this medication might be right for you. Flonase is a corticosteroid, not an antihistamine. The active ingredient, fluticasone propinate, relieves itchy and watery eyes, nasal congestion and sneezing, itchy nose, and runny nose. It’s an anti-inflammatory that targets symptoms by reducing swelling and irritation.
Flonase doesn’t have a stimulating effect, and it also won’t make you drowsy. There’s also no risk of becoming dependent.
Side-effects are mild to moderate. You may experience headache, nosebleed, and sore throat.
Nasacort is Safe for People as Young as 2 Years
Nasacort also takes the symptom relief approach to seasonal allergies. It’s a fine mist that you pump into each nostril. Adults may use two pumps per nostril each day, but children are usually prescribed a dosage of one pump per nostril.
The active ingredient in Nasacort is triamcinolone acetonide. This is a synthetic corticosteroid that doesn’t have the side-effects that some antihistamines do. It helps reduce all of your symptoms in about a day, but with regular use, the relief continues.
As with other corticosteroids, you don’t have to worry about drowsiness when using Nasacort. You can take your medication, and go on about your day.
Side effects range from mild to moderate, and include sore throat, nosebleeds, and headache.
Nasonex Works Quickly
You’re probably familiar with the commercials. A plump little honeybee, with the voice of Antonio Banderas, buzzes around pollen-producing plants and never suffers a single sneeze. Nasonex is a lot more than a clever commercial, though. It’s a corticosteroid that helps reduce the way your body reacts to allergens.
The active ingredient in Nasonex is mometasone furoate monohydrate, and it works in much the same way as other nasal allergy mists. It reduces swelling and irritation, giving you relief from nagging allergy symptoms all year round. It can work as quickly as within 12 hours.
Corticosteroids don’t cause that exhausted feeling, so you won’t need a nap after taking a daily dose. Your dosage, by the number of pumps, is assigned by your doctor.
Nasonex symptoms are usually mild. They may include viral infection, nosebleeds, sore throat, and headache.
Patanol Targets a More Serious Allergic Reaction
For some seasonal allergy sufferers, symptoms are worse than itchy, watery eyes. If irritation increases, it can cause a condition called allergic conjunctivitis. Patanol can help.
When the membrane covering the eye, called the conjunctiva, becomes inflamed, what may have been just an annoyance can evolve into allergic conjunctivitis. The eyelids may swell, itch, and burn.
The symptoms look like what you may know as “pink eye,” but this is an allergic-reaction pink eye, according to HealthLine. Unlike the more common pink eye, allergic conjunctivitis is not contagious.
Patanol is a 0.1% olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution, which is an antihistamine liquid eye drop medication. It can give relief in a matter of minutes. Dosage is usually one drop once or twice a day, but your doctor will prescribe the best dose for you.
Side effects are rare, but may include headaches, blurred vision, burning or stinging eyes, redness, dryness, eyelid swelling, and irritation. Your symptoms should improve, not worsen, with the use of Patanol, to report side effects to your doctor right away.
The two main allergy-relief medication categories are antihistamines, and corticosteroids. Neither is better than the other, they just take a different approach to giving you relief.
Antihistamines block the histamine reaction and can work quickly, but often cause drowsiness. Blocking the histamine reaction means symptoms don’t have as good of a chance to start.
Corticosteroids target the inflammation and irritation of a histamine reaction and they don’t generally cause drowsiness, but it may take up to 12 hours to get relief. You won’t have to wait 12 hours every day, though. Taken every day, once relief starts, it stays.
There are other measures you can take to help reduce allergens, and help you avoid allergic reactions. The Cleveland Clinic recommends closing windows and using air conditioning during high pollen count seasons. Air conditioning does a second job, which is reducing humidity, which can help reduce the possibility of mold and dust mites.
You can also cover your mattress and pillow with an allergy-reducing cover, and always use the hot cycle for bedding.
For extreme allergy sufferers, immunotherapy shots may be the only relief possible.
But for the majority of people who carry around tissues every spring to capture the persistent sneezes, prescription antihistamines or corticosteroids should do the trick.
eDrugstore.com sells antihistamines and corticosteroids that can help you manage spring allergies without hiding indoors. We offer privacy and convenience of online shopping, and your discreetly-packed shipment arrives right at your door. If you’re ready to try something that works, see what eDrugstore.com has to offer.
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