Written by Dr. Aisha Harris
Does it feel like your nose is running? Do you feel congested? Can not seem to get rid of the
sniffles? Eyes feeling very irritated? You might have allergies, and this time of year is the popular time for flare-ups! As the seasons change, the air quality and pollen in the air shifts, and our bodies, unfortunately, can react if we have allergies.
Some people have allergy symptoms all year round because they are sensitive to a lot of
environmental triggers and molecules. But some people only have allergy symptoms in certain times of the year, especially during season transitions when the adjustment is highest.
Luckily there are many ways to help manage allergies and options for the different symptoms that may be present. There are both medications to decrease symptoms – and techniques to decrease exposure.
Here are some types of medications to help decrease allergy-related symptoms.
Oral (by mouth) medications
– Antihistamine pills: There are oral medications like Zyrtec and Claritin and generics to help decrease overall allergy symptoms that may present in different parts of the body. Even medications like Benadryl, which is also an antihistamine, can temporarily decrease allergy symptoms like congestion and eye irritation.
– Prescription-only medications: There are prescription-only medications that can be offered to those with more severe, persistent or chronic allergy symptoms.
Nasal sprays and techniques:
– Steroid nasal spray: Steroid nasal sprays can decrease inflammation in the nose and help with sinus congestion and irritation.
– Antihistamine nasal sprays: Antihistamine nasal sprays can be used to help decrease sinus congestion and irritation caused by allergens.
– Nasal saline spray: Allergen gets “stuck” in the nose and sinuses from constant exposure
when we are breathing through our nose. This can cause the irritation and inflammation that then results in allergy symptoms. One way to decrease the symptoms is to cleanse or
irrigate the nasal passages to get some of the allergens out of the nose so they will not
cause as much irritation. Doing this on a regular basis, even daily, can decrease the amount of allergy-related symptoms caused by allergen exposures.
Eye drops and washes:
– Eye drops: There are a lot of reasons to use eye drops. They can moisturize the eyes, help
decrease irritation and help cleanse the eye if there is a small amount of debris in them.
During allergy season, eye drops can be helpful to decrease redness and irritation.
– Allergy eye drops: Sometimes people have more severe eye symptoms when it comes to
allergies with severe redness, itching and swelling, and this is a time to consider the allergy
specific eye drops that have antihistamine in them because they can decrease the reaction
to allergens in the eyes.
– Eye washes: Just like the nose, eyes are constantly exposed to the environment and allergens. So, regularly washing out the eye with cleansing kits can be helpful to decrease
allergy symptoms related to allergies “sitting” too long in the eye.
Sometimes people have allergies that can trigger other medical problems like asthma, COPD and eczema. So, decreasing exposure to allergens and controlling allergy symptoms can help prevent a flare-up or exacerbation of another medical disorder.
For those with severe allergy symptoms, there are also chronic medications, including injectables, that can be helpful to decrease or subside allergy symptoms. These medications can be discussed with your primary care doctor or an allergist.
The more proactive you are about decreasing allergen exposure through prevention and
decreasing symptoms through regular management and routine, the fewer allergy symptoms you can have. Knowing your triggers whether mold, pollen, animals or something else is important – so you can feel more in control of how your allergies are presenting and managed.
Dr. Aisha Harris, MD, is a Flint native and board-certified family medicine doctor at Harris Family Health in Flint, Michigan. Harris Family Health is a membership-based clinic that
provides personalized and full primary care to adults and children. Learn more about Harris
Family Health by visiting www.harrisfamilyhealth.com.
Feel free to submit health questions to Dr. Harris via theflintcouriernews@gmail.com.
