Get the right treatment for you
Finding the best remedy can involve a bit of trial and error;
one medicine may work better for one person than another, says Dr.
Harvey. Check with your doctor before starting any medication.
Decongestants: You'll relieve swollen nasal tissues,
loosening congestion, if you take a decongestant. You can take
these -- in pill or liquid form -- if your head or nose feels
stuffy. Decongestants such as Sudafed can be purchased over the
counter (OTC). Those that contain pseudoephedrine (an ingredient
used to produce metham?phetamine) are now kept behind drugstore
counters. You don't need a prescrip?tion to buy these, but you do
need to ask for them.
Antihistamines: An antihistamine helps prevent sneezing,
itching and a runny nose by blocking histamines, chemicals released
by the immune system during an allergic reaction. For the best
results, take them at the first sign of symptoms. You can buy OTC
antihistamines, such as Benadryl or Claritin. If these don't help,
ask your doctor about prescription antihistamines, such as Allegra
or Zyrtec, which contain different chemicals than the OTC pills and
might work better to relieve your symptoms.
Saline nasal sprays: These can help you flush allergens and
mucus from your nasal passages, lessening symptoms. Some brands,
like Ocean, are available over the counter.
Decongestant nasal sprays: You can use these OTC sprays to
relieve nasal swelling and congestion, but only for a few days at a
time: Too-frequent use can cause "rebound," whereby the body
becomes used to the drug and symptoms return.
Steroid nasal sprays: These prescription sprays, such as
Flonase and Nasonex, relieve an itchy, runny nose and sneezing.
They can relieve postnasal drip and nasal congestion better than
antihistamines. They don't cause rebound.
Immunotherapy: Also known as allergy shots, this is best for
symptoms caused by airborne allergens (think pollen and mold). The
shots contain small amounts of the allergens that affect the
patient, which will help decrease sensitivity to them. They are
given at regular intervals over three to five years.
Allergy vaccine: It's not available yet, but a vaccine for
ragweed allergies is expected sometime within the next few years.
Rather than a few years' worth of shots, people suffering from
ragweed allergies, which flare up in late summer and early fall,
would require only six shots over a six-week period.