Best Seasonal Allergy Treatments
Cases of seasonal allergic rhinitis shoot up in mid-August when ragweed allergy season begins. There are about 36 million people in the United States suffering from allergic reactions caused by billions of pollen in the air, traveling for hundreds of miles.
There might not really be cure for allergies but there are a lot of medications which you can buy over the counter or have prescribed by your doctor, which can help control your allergy symptoms. Annoying allergic rhinitis symptoms like sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, nasal congestion, and throat irritation can be handled well with antihistamines, prescription nasal sprays, allergy shots or other medicine combinations.
The best way to control one’s allergies is by knowing one’s allergy triggers. In most cases though, we don’t have a clue at all. Here are some of the best treatments to consider for your seasonal allergy:
Antihistamines
You can get antihistamines in all forms. There are tablets, capsules, or liquid which you can take orally to help control the allergic reaction and symptoms of sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and itchy nose. There are also topical anti-histamines in the form of eye drops and nasal sprays which can give the same benefit. Some of these drugs may cause drowsiness. Precaution should be taken when driving, using dangerous machinery or equipment; or engage in any activity which requires full concentration.
The doctor will be able to guide you on the dosage of the medication.
Decongestants and Nasal Sprays
You can ask your doctor if decongestants can help you control the nasal or sinus congestion caused by ragweed-induced allergic rhinitis. Decongestants can help unclog your stuffy nose and relieve sinus pressure and provide relief of these annoying symptoms.
Decongestants are available in different forms. Oral decongestant tablets, capsules or liquid can be obtained over the counter. You should be aware that side-effects of these medications can include tremors, irritability, insomnia, palpitations, or can aggravate high blood pressure. Topical decongestant nasal sprays are also available over the counter however precaution should be taken since these can cause “rebound nasal congestion” once the nose gets ”addicted” to the decongestant nasal spray.
Other medications, including steroids, anticholinergics, and antihistamines, can be delivered via a nasal spray to help control the symptoms caused by the allergic rhinitis. Intranasal steroids help control the inflammation in the nasal membranes induced by the allergic reaction. Anticholinergic agents help control the profuse nasal secretions that cause the runny nose and post-nasal drip, and antihistamines block histamine which causes the sneezing, itching and runny nose.
Categories: Allergies Tags: Allergy, Seasonal, Treatments
Causes of Allergies
The first thing we need to understand is what an allergy is. An allergy is a reaction to something outside the body that the body itself feels is a threat to it. More specifically, this is the immune system. The truth of the matter is, everybody has allergies in as much as the body is always going to view outside agents such as pollen, grass, weeds, and even foods as invaders. The difference between someone who "suffers" from allergies and someone who doesn't is the degree to which the body reacts or in the case of sufferers, overreacts to the allergen. For example, let's take hay fever season where the pollen count is especially high and have two people walk out into the street. The person who has a normal immune system and doesn't overreact to every outside allergen will probably not even notice that the pollen count is high. There will be no itching, sneezing, watering of the eyes or any symptoms whatsoever. The person who has an overactive immune system, at least to this particular type of allergen, will begin to sneeze. Maybe the eyes will start to water. In severe cases the person may even have trouble breathing, all because their immune system is viewing the pollen as a great threat. So the question is, why do some people have immune systems that behave normally and others have immune systems that overreact? Studies show that in most cases this is because these people are genetically disposed to reacting in such a manner. Maybe they inherited this particular predisposition from their mother or father. Maybe it even skipped a generation, but in most cases this is simply inherited. In other cases, allergies are not inherited. In these cases the person's immune system does not work correctly or is weakened because of some other condition. Maybe they are a poor eater and thus aren't getting the nutrition they need to stay healthy. This can weaken the immune system and cause it to behave erratically. In other cases the weakened immune system is caused by another underlying problem such as an inability of the body to absorb a certain protein or amino acid. In either case, the immune system becomes what we call "hyperactive". This results in the immune system identifying quite harmless substances as enemies and then reacts totally out of proportion to the threat itself. In some cases the reaction can be severe enough to cause some serious health problems. Yes, people can die from allergies so this is not something to be taken lightly. Many people believe that if there is a genetic disposition to allergies then there is nothing that can do to solve the problem. This is actually not so. There are many things a person can naturally do to build up their immune system so that allergies are no longer a problem.
