Which of the symptoms listed below are you experiencing right now?
Choose your allergy symptoms from the list below and see what is recommended.
You must have this allergy really bad.
Your best bet would be to visit the nearest urgent care clinic. if you don't think so, here is what I recommend to use over-the-counter.
Talk about pain, antihistamine, cough, decongestant and itchyeyes relief.
You must have this allergy really bad.
Your best bet would be to visit the nearest urgent care clinic. if you don't think so, here is what I recommend to use over-the-counter.
Send to nearest urgent care.
We must have left something out.
If you think you have allergy:
Please go back and choose the symptom(s) that you feel closely relate to what you have or might have had and let's recommend something for you.
Remember, there is no cure for allergy. All we can do is manage the symptoms.
Decongestants
A decongestant will relieve the blocked or stuffy nose.
Decongestants cause the blood vessels in the lining of the nose and sinuses to narrow. This reduces the stuffy nose or sinus congestion.
Go to the pharmacy counter and ask for pseudoephedrine.
We do not recommend phenylephrine tablets. They don't work.
Because an antihistamine will not relieve stuffy nose and a decongestant will not help with a runny nose, you may need a combination of both an antihistamine and a decongestant if you alternate between a runny and stuffy nose.
Go to the pharmacy counter and ask for something + D. Use the product comparison page of this app to choose a good combination that will fit your needs.
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Antihistamine
Contact with allergen cause mast cells in the nose, eyes, throat to release more histamine than usual.
The results are itchy eyes, throat, runny nose, sneezing, red, watery eyes.
So you need an antihistamine to block histamine from reaching the cells to cause these symptoms.
Antihistamines are most effective when taken before you come in contact with the allergen.
If you are just starting out, you may have to try 2 or more types of antihistamine to find which will work best for you. So buy the pack of 5 tabs. This way if it does not work, you can switch to another antihistamine and not waste your money. Manufacturers know this. That is why they make packs of 5 tablets.
Compare antihistamines using the comparison part of this app to see which will work best for you. A quick link to the comparison table is given at the end of this page.
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Pain / Fever reducer
Inflammation and swelling of the sinuses and severe nasal congestion can lead to sinus pressure. This cause headaches, facial or sinus pain.
It is usually better to take a decongestant along with a pain-relief medicine for headache or sinus pain.
You need to take care of the underlying cause of this pain before it will really go away.
Acetaminophen is preferred if it is just a headache.
Ibuprofen or naproxen is preferred if you have inflammation of the sinuses causing facial pain with a headache.
These also have anti-inflammatory properties compared to acetaminophen.
Combinations of pain-relief + decongestant is a good choice. Go to the pharmacy counter and ask for naproxen + D, or ibuprofen + D. Skip the ones in the cold medicine aisle.
Cough Relief
Mucus dripping down the throat from the back of the nose (post nasal drip) will trigger the cough reflex.
We normally do not recommend a cough medication for allergy situations. Because if you do not take care of what is causing it, you will keep coughing. Sometimes just drinking water is more effective than a cough medicine when it comes to allergy symptoms.
Here are situations that will warrant getting a cough medicine:
- Cough wakes you up at night.
Dextromethorphan will suppress the cough for a good night's sleep.
Diphenhydramine or doxylamine can suppress the cough while making you sleep. - Mucus has accumulated giving a feeling of chest congestion.
You will need to thin the mucus so you can cough it out.
Guaifenesin with drinking a lot of water should help with this.
Allergy Relief Eye Drops
Pollen or other allergens getting to the surface of the eyes can trigger histamine release leading to itchy, watery and even swollen eyes.
You will need antihistamine eye drops.
First choice
ketotifen fumarate opthalmic solution.
This work for up to 12 hours on a single dose and is more effective but more expensive. It is worth the cost. But don't sweat it if you can't afford it. Go with the second choice. You just have to use it more often.
Second choice:
Eye drops that end with a cap "A". Naphcon A®, visine A®, opcon A® and so on (A stands for Allergy).
They last for 4 to 6 hours. So be sure to carry them with you.
Choose this only if the first choice is too expensive for you.
See the product comparison section of this app for a good way to choose an allergy relief eye drops.
Steroidal Nasal Sprays
Intranasal steroids (INS) have anti-inflammatory properties.
The inside of your nose can easily become inflamed as a result of pollen or other allergens.
A steroidal nasal spray will relieve symptoms like runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, itchy nose by reducing or preventing this inflammation.
They are recommended for moderate to severe allergic rhinitis.
OK, how do you know you have moderate to severe allergic rhinitis?
You know if symptoms are:
- Getting more difficult to tolerate.
- Getting so bad that it is hard to function at school, home or work.
- Interfering with your sleep.
- Making you change antihistamines because one is no longer working as good.
- Making you put off activities like mowing, gardening or sports.
If any one of these apply to you, add intranasal steroids to your regimen.
Good examples are triamcinolone acetonide, fluticasone nasal spray. If one is not working for you after a month or 2, switch to a different ingredient type. For instance, if Flonase® is not working for you, switch to Nasacort®.
Worth doing
Allergy mask
Wear an allergy mask if you are going to mow the lawn, work in the garden do other outside chores around the house.
You will be surprised to see how much it helps.
Shower
Those green or yellow pollen sitting on your car during allergy season, they are also on your hair, skin, clothing and so on. You need to wash more often.
Your hair attracts more pollen than you can imagine. This include changing clothes more often.
You can compare antihistamines or decongestants using our comparison table to see which will work best for you.
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