Easing Allergy Symptoms

Avoiding the allergens that cause allergic reactions and knowing which allergy medications to use to prevent allergy symptoms are two strategies that will help keep your nasal allergies under control. But it's often impossible to avoid all allergens. So when allergy symptoms do occur, you need to know how to ease them.

The first step in easing allergy symptoms is knowing which allergy medicines work for which allergy symptom. But with the dozens of over-the-counter and prescription products available for treating allergies, that can be quite a challenge.

It's important to read labels carefully and to talk with your pharmacist and doctor before making any decisions about which allergy medications to use. In most cases, the simpler the product, the better. Be thoughtful about using combination allergy medications. Those are the types that contain more than one medicine. With them, you may be taking medications you don't need. Ask for professional help to sort out the best combination allergy medication for you.

Use the following chart to help you determine which type of over-the-counter allergy medication may be best for relieving the allergy symptoms you have. The chart is a general guide only. Not everyone will have the same results. You can use the chart in either of these ways.

• Find your allergy symptom or symptoms and look down the column to see which allergy medication can be very effective in easing it. If you have more than one allergy symptom, you'll need to check them all. Ask your pharmacist for help.
  
  
• Look at a particular type of allergy medication. Follow the row to the right to see how well it will ease the allergy symptoms you have.

Medication	Sneezing and itching	Runny nose	Stuffy nose	Red, watery, itchy eyes
Pill form of antihistamine	May be very effective	May be very effective	May or may not be effective	May be somewhat effective
Intranasal form of antihistamine	May be very effective	May be very effective	May or may not be effective	May be somewhat effective
Pill form of decongestant	May not be effective	May possibly be effective	May be very effective	May not be effective
Pill form of decongestant and antihistamine combination	May be very effective	May be very effective	May be very effective	May be very effective
Intranasal corticosteroid sprays or drops	May be very effective	May be very effective	May be somewhat effective	May be somewhat effective
Nasal decongestant	May not be effective	May possibly be effective	May be very effective	May not be effective
Cromolyn sodium nasal spray	May be somewhat effective	May be somewhat effective	May be very effective	May not be effective
Nasal saline sprays or drops	May be somewhat effective	May not be effective	May be somewhat effective	May not be effective
Cromolyn sodium eye drops	May not be effective	May not be effective	May not be effective	May be somewhat effective
Antihistamine or decongestant eye drops	May not be effective	May not be effective	May not be effective	May be somewhat effective

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Written by Karen Serrano, MD
Emergency Medicine resident at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Reviewed by Lisa V. Suffian, MD
Instructor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Allergy and Pulmonary Medicine at Saint Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine
Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, Saint Louis University
Board certified in Allergy and Immunology

Last updated June 2008