Living With Severe Allergies
Experts share 3 strategies to cope with chronic allergies.
Allergy treatment won’t "cure" your allergies, but they can significantly reduce your allergy symptoms. Key treatments include antihistamines and decongestants. Antihistamines treat the runny nose and itchingeyes and nose. Decongestants reduce the stuffiness.
Prescription nasal steroid sprays also help, Williams says. Nasal steroid sprays prevent the release of substances that inflame mucus membranes, thus reducing your inflammation. "For these to be most effective they need to be used on a regular basis," he says.
Another option, says Miller, is to use antihistamine nasal sprays; there are even some prescription-strength sprays approved to treat seasonal allergies.
The asthma prescription drug montelukast can also help allergy symptoms, Miller says.
Immunotherapy, better known as allergy shots, can help, too, he says. "Those are for people whose allergies are difficult to control [even with medication or environmental measures], or people who don't want to continue taking medication all their lives," Miller says.
For some people, the medications may not work as well over time, Gupta says. "Patients often tell me the medications that worked last year don't work this year." Some patients can switch to another medication; other patients may consider immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy can also reduce the risk of developing asthma, Miller says. "It's never too late to start."
Before you start allergy shots, your allergist will do a series of tests to pinpoint which allergens cause your allergies. Then, typically, allergy shots are given twice a week for a few months, tapered to once a week for about six months, then every one to four weeks for up to five years, Miller says.
Living With Severe Allergies
Experts share 3 strategies to cope with chronic allergies.
Allergy Strategy 3: Obtain Good Treatment
Allergy treatment won’t "cure" your allergies, but they can significantly reduce your allergy symptoms. Key treatments include antihistamines and decongestants. Antihistamines treat the runny nose and itchingeyes and nose. Decongestants reduce the stuffiness.
Prescription nasal steroid sprays also help, Williams says. Nasal steroid sprays prevent the release of substances that inflame mucus membranes, thus reducing your inflammation. "For these to be most effective they need to be used on a regular basis," he says.
Another option, says Miller, is to use antihistamine nasal sprays; there are even some prescription-strength sprays approved to treat seasonal allergies.
The asthma prescription drug montelukast can also help allergy symptoms, Miller says.
Immunotherapy, better known as allergy shots, can help, too, he says. "Those are for people whose allergies are difficult to control [even with medication or environmental measures], or people who don't want to continue taking medication all their lives," Miller says.
For some people, the medications may not work as well over time, Gupta says. "Patients often tell me the medications that worked last year don't work this year." Some patients can switch to another medication; other patients may consider immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy can also reduce the risk of developing asthma, Miller says. "It's never too late to start."
Before you start allergy shots, your allergist will do a series of tests to pinpoint which allergens cause your allergies. Then, typically, allergy shots are given twice a week for a few months, tapered to once a week for about six months, then every one to four weeks for up to five years, Miller says.
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