Treatment and Medication Options for Allergies
Treatments for allergies are intended to reduce symptoms and improve your quality of life. Allergy treatments vary, depending on the severity of your condition and the type of allergies you have.
Medication Options
If your allergies are severe enough to significantly interfere with your quality of life, or if you aren’t able to find relief using over-the-counter (OTC) treatments, it’s a good idea to see a doctor in order to identify what you’re allergic to and gain access to the full range of prescription options.
OTC medicines include antihistamines and decongestants and nasal steroid sprays (which relieve congestion and previously were only available by prescription). Steroid or antihistamine nasal sprays are now available OTC and may include fluticasone (Flonase) or azelastine (Astelin) and may be used to help prevent or treat allergy symptoms, and there is also montelukast (Singulair), a leukotriene blocker used for asthma and allergic rhinitis.
Your doctor may prescribe allergy shots (immunotherapy), which lessen your immune system’s reaction to allergens. Or, in severe cases, they may prescribe steroids, which reduce inflammation and swelling.
You may also need medications for asthma. If you have severe allergic reactions and are at risk for anaphylaxis, then your doctor may recommend that you carry a dose of epinephrine (Epipen), a chemical that tightens blood vessels and opens airways in the lungs.
Complementary Therapies
Complementary remedies, such as nasal irrigation techniques, may also help relieve allergy symptoms.
A number of other integrative medicine approaches for asthma, eczema, and other allergic symptoms also exist. Options for asthma, for example, include breathing exercises and herbal remedies.
But John Bosso, MD, director of the otorhinolaryngology allergy clinic at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, cautions people about using these therapies to treat allergies.
“Many things that purport to treat allergies are available because in the supplement/nonpharmaceutical market you don’t need to prove efficacy or that it’s better than placebo — it just needs to be proven to be safe,” he says.
Talk with your doctor to help you determine if some of these therapies may support your treatment goals safely before adding them into your treatment plan.
Source link