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Help for Springtime Allergies
Posted on: 03/21/2009
Spring has arrived and for those who suffer from allergies, along with the warm weather comes sniffling, sneezing, and red, itchy eyes. Fortunately effective relief is available for you and your child in the form of effective and safe over-the-counter and prescription medications.
In most situations its best to begin with a once a day over-the-counter generic non-sedating antihistamine, such as loratidine (brands include Claritin, Alavert ) or cetrizine (brand name Zyrtec). Though these medication are not addictive one can build up a tolerance to them, meaning that the medication will become less effective over time. If tolerance develops, usually after 3 months or more of continuous use, you can rotate the types of over-the-counter medications you take.
If despite the use of over-the-counter antihistamines, nasal congestion persists, a saline rinse can be added. You can buy a saline-solution nose spray at your local drugstore or you can prepare your own solution by mixing 8 ounces of water with half a teaspoon of table salt in a squirt bottle.
For itchy, red eyes over-the-counter eye drops are available. These include antihistamine/decongestant drops such as Opcon A and Naphcon A. Because these drops contain a decongestant (Vasocon A, Naphcon A) they should not be used for more than 3 days to avoid developing a dependence on them. Recently eye drops that reduce inflammation containing ketofifen (Zaditor, Alaway) have become available over-the-counter and can be safely recommended for long term use.
Widely used for the treatment of nasal congestion are over-the-counter nasal sprays such as oxymetzaoline (Afrin) and phenylephrine (NeoSynephrine). These should not be used for more than two to three days to avoid rebound congestion. When this occurs the medication loses its power the more it is used and when discontinued, the symptoms will return worse than before their use.
If you’ve exhausted over-the-counter remedies you may want to ask your physician to prescribe a nasal corticosteroid spray such as fluticasone (Flonase) or generic flunisolone. These medications given with proper dosing and supervision are safe, avoid the problem of rebound congestion, and often will relieve troublesome nasal congestion that oral antihistamines only partially treat. Besides the nasal steroid medications, you might also ask your physician if she recommends Astelin which is a prescription nasal antihistamine or Nasalcrom which is an over-the counter anti-inflammatory nasal spray, containing cromolyn.
A word is also in order about the oral decongestant medications pseudoephedrine (Sudafed and others) and phenylephrine (Sudafed PE and others). Claritin D and Zyrtec D are combinations of antihistamines and pseudoephedrine, the letter “D” standing for decongestant. Pseudoephedrine alone or in combination with an antihistamine may help relieve nasal congestion but should only be used in children over the age of 12. If a decongestant is used, one should watch for common side-effects such as headache and dizziness and be aware of interactions with other medications taken. We believe its best to avoid combination products which combine decongestants with pain and fever reducers like acetaminophen or older sedating antihistamines like chlorpheniramine.
By following the above approach, most allergy sufferers can find sufficient relief of their symptoms. However, if symptoms remain severe or occur throughout much of the year, immunotherapy otherwise known as “allergy shots” can be considered. Although the time and effort involved are substantial, severe allergy symptoms can cause enough misery to warrant consulting an allergist about treatment including immunotherapy.
Parents often wonder if allergies are inheritied. If one parent has allergies, then his child has a 33% chance of developing allergies. If both parents have allergies, then their child has a 67% chance.
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