Allergy Season: What You Can Do Now To Fight Back

April 2023

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, close to 50 million Americans suffer from allergic rhinitis, a condition that can last year-round. This winter was particularly bad for people with allergies because most people were indoors.

Here are a few tips to counteract allergies before they start:

• Start allergy medicine before the season hits they can block histamine receptors and reduce potential inflammation.
• An allergist can assist If over-the-counter medications fail to work or symptoms persist longer than the traditional pollen. Allergists may also prescribe other medications, including antihistamine nasal sprays.
• » Over-the-counter medications: antihistamines with the brand names Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec can be taken once a day. » Over-the-counter nasal corticosteroid sprays: Nasacort and Flonase (fluticasone) suppress some of the allergy inflammatory cells that come into the nasal passages and cause the inflammation and some of the runny nose and sneezing. Saline sprays, which contain no medication, can also be helpful in flushing out allergens and opening nasal passages.
• Over-the-counter eye drops: Formulations with ketotifen, an antihistamine, often work well to fight itchiness.