Allergies - How to not be so miserable every Spring!
How do I know if I have allergies?
Symptoms of allergies are sneezing, runny nose or congestion, itchy eyes, nose, or ears. These symptoms can come in “typical” allergy seasons such as spring, or you could have year-long allergies to things like cats or dust.
What should I take for it?
Flonase of Nasonex
Nasal steroid sprays work best for allergies. They decrease inflammation in your nose, which helps both nose and eye symptoms.
Antihistamine Nasal Spray
An antihistamine nasal spray like azelastine or olopatadine are a close second; they treat histamine release but also bring down inflammation in your nose. These medicines work more quickly than any other group (within about 10 minutes).
Antihistamine Pills
Claritin, Zyrtec, and Allegra are easy to take. They work well, but not as well as the nasal sprays and can have more side effects. Use them if allergies are mild and short-lived, but it’s best not to use these medicines for prolonged periods.
Does my kid have allergies?
Runny noses in kids are more likely to come from colds than allergies. If you see a pattern of a runny nose that lasts a few weeks and then improves, but then comes back again a week or two later, your kid is having back to back colds. On average, small kids have a cold every month, and the runny nose from colds can take up to 3 weeks to go away - so it can seem like kids ALWAYS have a runny nose!
Antihistamines don’t help this kind of runny nose and do have a lot of side effects. Instead, use nasal saline to flush out their noses and help the congestion.
When should I get allergy testing?
Allergy testing can be helpful if:
- It would make you change your lifestyle - if you knew you were allergic to cats, you would get rid of your cat.
- You would consider allergy shots to help your allergies (usually only for those with severe allergies or asthma).
If your allergy testing is negative, that doesn’t mean you don’t have allergies; it just means you don’t have allergies to common, widespread things that can be treated with shots.
First, try to treat your allergies with over the counter medicines like we listed above. If that’s not helping, then you should talk to your doctor about allergy testing.
What NOT to take for allergies
Decongestants like Afrin and Sudafed can work very well in the short term. But if you use them for longer than about 3 days in a row, they can actually make congestion come back worse. Save these medicines for short term use only.
Don’t take antihistamines (Allegra, Zyrtec, Claritin) continuously for allergies (for months at a time) - these can lead to increased risk of dementia.
We recommend against taking medicines like Benadryl for most allergies, because this medicine makes most people sleepy, and might bring an increased risk of dementia.
Don’t give kids antihistamines for colds.
