What are allergies and why do people have allergies?

Constantly sneezing, nasal congestion, and a runny nose are commonly experienced allergy symptoms.

Did you know that allergies are our bodies overreaction to something that would normally not cause a response?

Our immune system responds to allergy triggers by releasing a chemical known as histamine. Histamine is what causes symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy, dry eyes, or postnasal drip. Allergens cause our bodies to release histamines and produce allergies.

For some individuals, allergies may be present year-round or occur during certain seasons. If you have year-round allergy symptoms, you could be allergic to pet dander, mold, or dust mites inside and outside the home. An example of seasonal allergens includes pollen or ragweed, that are prominent in the spring and fall.

What are the treatment options for allergies?

There are two methods to prevent and treat allergy symptoms: avoid the allergen or lower the body’s response to the allergen.

In the home, using a dehumidifier will work to keep the nasal passages moist and adding High Efficiency Particle Air (HEPA) filters will filter pollen, mold, bacteria and other circulating airborne particles.

When outside during high pollen counts, avoid touching your eyes to prevent additional irritation. Upon returning inside, change clothing or bathe to remove any pollen from the skin and hair.

For some allergy sufferers, it can be difficult to avoid the allergen altogether. Luckily, there are a variety of over-the-counter products for seasonal and year-round allergies.

Searching the allergy aisle can feel overwhelming. There are so many options. Which one should you purchase? Allergy medications come in a variety of formulations including intranasal sprays, oral antihistamines, oral decongestants, and eye drops.

Intranasal Corticosteroids

• Examples
  • Flonase (fluticasone propionate) – ages 4 and up
  • Flonase Sensimist (fluticasone furoate) – ages 2 and up
  • Nasacort (triamcinolone) – ages 2 and up
  • Rhinocort (budesonide) – ages 6 and up
• What symptoms do these medications help?
  • Congestion, runny nose, sneezing, itchy, watery eyes
• When/how to use:
  • Moderate to severe year-round allergies or start using prior to the beginning of seasonal allergies. Intranasal corticosteroids need to be in your system before allergen exposure to provide relief. These are not ideal for allergic episodes.

Oral Antihistamines

• Examples
  • 1^st generation – chlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine (Benadryl), doxylamine, meclizine
    • Side effects- drowsiness, dry mouth
  • 2^nd generation – cetirizine (Zyrtec), loratadine (Claritin), fexofenadine (Allegra), levocetirizine (Xyzal)
    • Side effects – some drowsiness with cetirizine, but overall well tolerated.
  • What symptoms do these medications help?
    • Oral histamines treat the same symptoms as intranasal corticosteroids but to a lesser extent.
  • When/how to use:
    • Mild symptoms with allergy episodes or seasonal allergies

Oral decongestants

• Examples
  • Sudafed
  • Sudafed PE
• What symptoms do these medications help?
  • Congestion and sinus pressure
• When/how to use
  • Best used when your allergies are bad and congestion remains despite trying other medications. Sudafed and other combination products are kept behind the counter at the pharmacy and require an ID to purchase. Additionally, they can cause increases in blood pressure and heart rate, so individuals with these conditions should use caution when taking them.

Miscellaneous Allergy Medications

Ocular antihistamines

• Example
  • Ketotifen (Zatidor)
• What symptoms are helped?
  • If your allergy symptoms are mainly red, itchy, watery eyes

Nasal decongestants

• Example
  • Oxymetazoline (Afrin)
• What symptoms are helped?
  • Nasal congestion
• When/how to use
  • These can be great for nasal congestion, but it’s important to know they can only be used for three days before taking at least a five day break before restarting. If used longer than three consecutive days, these products can cause “rebound congestion” which may be harder to treat than the original congestion you experienced.

As you can see, there are many over-the-counter options to treat allergies. The best option for you depends on your symptoms, how long you’ve been experiencing symptoms, and your past medical history. It’s also very important to stay consistent once you’ve selected a medication in order to see results.

Feel free to stop by Happy Druggist or give us a call with any questions you may have about allergy medications!

References: 

https://www.aafa.org/media/3278/aafa-2022-allergy-capitals-report.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/pollen-health.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/allergen.htm

https://www.aafa.org/allergies.aspx