Ways to help your Allergies during the Spring and Summer -
By Jay Plavnick
Now that we are finally in the warmer season, allergies can be a problem for many individuals. I wrote this article in hopes that you can better enjoy the outdoors this summer.
Before becoming President of VaxPro, I worked over 30 years in retail area, counseling my patients on what are the best treatments for allergies. From these experiences, I have found many people are allergic to dust, mold, ragweed or pollen. They can suffer during the spring and summer seasons or they can ask for help. I recommend these treatments to help alleviate the allergy symptoms.
1. Receive weekly allergy shots from an allergist. This is also known as allergic immunotherapy. According to AARP, this is a medical treatment for some types of allergies, which can cause your immune system to become desensitized to specific allergens that trigger allergy symptoms. It can take a long time to work, however the result can be long-term relief.1
2. Over-the-counter medications. Many people suffer from mild seasonal allergies like running nose or itchy eyes. If they prefer to take a tablet to relieve their symptoms, I recommend the following allergy medications (ranked in order of least sedation):
a. Claritin (loratadine) has the least sedation, but it is also the mildest antihistamine, so it works well for people who only have mild allergies.
b. Allegra (fexofenadine) causes a little more sedation, but is a stronger antihistamine.
c. Zyrtec (cetirizine) causes the most sedation, however it is the strongest antihistamine, so it will offer the most relief for people with very bad allergies.
If you suffer from stuffiness you can combine a decongestant, such as Claritin D, Allegra D and Zyrtec D to any of these medications. However, you will need to visit a pharmacy, as they contain pseudoephedrine, an ingredient that is used to make Methamphetamine.
3. Steroid nasal spray. If you have more moderate allergy issues, you might want to consider trying a steroid nasal spray like Flonase or Nasonex. These help to reduce swelling in your nasal passages.
1https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2017/allergy-medication-triggers-treatments.html