Allergy Medicine

Ever think, “what can I honestly do without?” No, beer doesn’t count. But there are a handful of things that would be difficult to live without. Water is one. Sleep is another. But you know what else can be added to that list … allergy medicine. Every time May rolls around, or October reels its Halloween, ghoulish head, allergies tend to pick up. Not to mention the millions of people that suffer regularly year-round. So where do these gifts from Lucifer come from? And why do they pester us so much? All excellent questions, and we’re here to answer them.

At their core allergies are substances that our immune systems consider to be harmful, a dangerous invader if you will. When said invader arrives, the immune system processes this information and releases substances that are designed to battle it out with the intruder. A common substance that is emitted by the body is histamine. This normally triggers sneezing and causes the nasal passages to fill up with fluid that in turn can fight it out with the bandits taking over your body. However, there are side effects to all this, and one of them is a nasty condition known as rhinitis, which in common language is watery or itchy eyes, coughing, sneezing or runny nose. In summary, all the crap you hate.

If you’ve been wondering where the whole medicine part comes into play, we’ve arrived. There are strategies to fight allergies and two principal ways to do this. The first is blocking the effects of the histamine which you can do with medication that is known as antihistamine. On the medication front these are common medications such as Benadryl or Claritin. Another method is suppressing the immune system before the histamine even gets released. Sound like some next level stuff? You bet it is, see why living without allergy medicine is on par with water!

The latter is accomplished via corticosteroid nasal sprays, and some of the more popular are Rhinocort, Flonase and Nasacort. While these work well, antihistamines are still some the best remedies especially for really potent pollen seasons. First-generation OTC (over the counter) antihistamines are power-punchers, with name brands such as Chlor-Trimeton, Allegra and Zyrtec. A nice tidbit to keep in mind – second generation antihistamines are not more potent than first-generation ones. But they are more expensive!

Lastly, there are times when OTC remedies are adequate, but others when you really need to see a doctor. If the OTC medication is only working at an average rate, or if the side-effects are concerning, then seeing an allergist or ear, nose and throat specialist might be the best option. Doctors can up the ante the bit, adding on to OTC prescriptions according to your specific biological make-up. This is value-added in the fight against allergies, wouldn’t you agree?

Ever think, “what can I honestly do without?” No, beer doesn’t count. But there are a handful of things that would be difficult to live without. Water is one. Sleep is another. But you know what else can be added to that list … allergy medicine. Every time May rolls around, or October reels its Halloween, ghoulish head, allergies tend to pick up. Not to mention the millions of people that suffer regularly year-round. So where do these gifts from Lucifer come from? And why do they pester us so much? All excellent questions, and we’re here to answer them.

At their core allergies are substances that our immune systems consider to be harmful, a dangerous invader if you will. When said invader arrives, the immune system processes this information and releases substances that are designed to battle it out with the intruder. A common substance that is emitted by the body is histamine. This normally triggers sneezing and causes the nasal passages to fill up with fluid that in turn can fight it out with the bandits taking over your body. However, there are side effects to all this, and one of them is a nasty condition known as rhinitis, which in common language is watery or itchy eyes, coughing, sneezing or runny nose. In summary, all the crap you hate.

If you’ve been wondering where the whole medicine part comes into play, we’ve arrived. There are strategies to fight allergies and two principal ways to do this. The first is blocking the effects of the histamine which you can do with medication that is known as antihistamine. On the medication front these are common medications such as Benadryl or Claritin. Another method is suppressing the immune system before the histamine even gets released. Sound like some next level stuff? You bet it is, see why living without allergy medicine is on par with water!

The latter is accomplished via corticosteroid nasal sprays, and some of the more popular are Rhinocort, Flonase and Nasacort. While these work well, antihistamines are still some the best remedies especially for really potent pollen seasons. First-generation OTC (over the counter) antihistamines are power-punchers, with name brands such as Chlor-Trimeton, Allegra and Zyrtec. A nice tidbit to keep in mind – second generation antihistamines are not more potent than first-generation ones. But they are more expensive!

Lastly, there are times when OTC remedies are adequate, but others when you really need to see a doctor. If the OTC medication is only working at an average rate, or if the side-effects are concerning, then seeing an allergist or ear, nose and throat specialist might be the best option. Doctors can up the ante the bit, adding on to OTC prescriptions according to your specific biological make-up. This is value-added in the fight against allergies, wouldn’t you agree?