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Got that aching, sniffly, sneezy, red-eyed, itchy, annoying allergy feeling once again? You may be experiencing fall allergies, sometimes referred to as “hay fever.” This condition represents an increase in allergy symptoms only during specific times of year, usually the spring and fall. The symptoms match environmental increases in histamine-triggering substances like pollen, grass, and plant matter.
For some patients, symptoms only appear in the fall and spring season. Others experience allergies all year round, but find them manageable with just saline eye drops and a pack of tissues (and perhaps staying away from the neighbor’s very fluffy cat). For the latter, spring and fall allergens can push symptoms just over the edge of what’s tolerable. Seasonal allergies are a primary motivator for patient visits to the pharmacy during both seasons.
Whether you’re experiencing allergies already or you’re dreading the start of fall because you know symptoms of fall allergies will flare, you don’t have to accept your allergies as fact. There are easy and effective ways to protect your wellness all year round. Here are five to get you started!
1. Antihistamines
Over-the-counter antihistamines represent one of the easiest and best ways to treat fall allergies. They’re easy to locate — just visit your local pharmacy — and safe for nearly all patients without serious health issues to take. Adults and children over 12 should use adult formulas and follow all directions on the package closely. Parents of children under 12 should first check with a pharmacist to verify the correct dose and formula for a child.
Older-generation formulas (like Benadryl) can make you sleepy, newer-generation OTC allergy medications (like Claritin) boast non-drowsy formulas that effectively prevent daytime sleepiness. Whether you choose a non-drowsy formula or not, you shouldn’t drive a car or operate heavy machinery until you know how your OTC medication affects you.
It is important to note that antihistamines work best when you take them before allergy symptoms arise. That’s why many antihistamine formulas last a full 24 hours. If you take an OTC antihistamine, and you still experiencing allergy symptoms after the first few doses, you may be suffering from a cold, a sinus infection, an eye infection, or some other condition.
2. Decongestants
Decongestant medications work by thinning and drying out the mucus in the nose, sinuses, throat, lungs, and mouth. Although it’s much more common for patients to use decongestants for symptoms relating to the common cold or influenza, they can occasionally aid allergy sufferers in slowing mucous production.
Fall allergies produce the same swollen blood vessels in the nose and sinuses as viral and bacterial illnesses. In a small number of patients, this produces intense stuffy noses and/or sinus headaches.
The issue with this particular symptom is that antihistamines don’t really address the swelling directly. Patients may take antihistamines, fail to feel any better, and assume the medication isn’t working when really it just isn’t designed to treat swelling at all. Decongestants treat swollen blood vessels by causing vasoconstriction — tightening of the blood vessels throughout the body.
Unfortunately, decongestants do come with a few potential side effects. Even the most effective OTC formulas are technically stimulant-class drugs. As they induce the desired vasoconstriction, the sometimes cause high heart rates or blood pressure, too. Patients with cardiovascular diseases, anxiety disorders, kidney and liver diseases, or chronic dehydration should not take decongestants without first speaking with a physician.
3. Nasal Steroids
Nasal steroids come in two main forms:
- Sprays
- Drops
Drops work best for young children who either can’t or won’t take spray medications. Sprays better reach the upper nasal cavities and sinuses. Both options contain a mixture of saline and corticosteroid drugs like dexamethasone.
Nasal steroids work by reducing swelling. Corticosteroids boast potent anti-inflammatory benefits that effectively reduce nasal and sinus swelling, itching, and irritation for easier breathing. They also suppress the immune system locally within the nose and sinuses. This may seem counterintuitive, but some experts believe overactive immune system processes may actually play an important role in the allergy experience.
Nasal steroids do come with a few side effects. Because they contain a steroid drug, you shouldn’t take them if you suffer from steroid-contraindicated health conditions like HIV/AIDS or if you take immunosuppressants for a condition like Rheumatoid Arthritis. For the average patient, the most concerning potential symptom is secondary infection or excessively dry nasal passages. Ask your pharmacist for the correct brand and usage profile for your needs.
4. Air Purifiers
If much of your allergy symptoms occur at home, it is often wiser to treat your indoor air quality before you try allergy medications. Keeping windows shut on days with high pollen counts or all throughout the season may at least allow you be more comfortable while you’re at home. Adding an air purifier into the mix gives you an extra ability to strip away any problem allergens that do manage to sneak in.
Not every air purifier removes every potential allergen from the air. Ideally, you should install a purifier with a HEPA, carbon, or electrostatic filtering features. Ionizers may help some patients, but generally, they treat odors and debris rather than the actual quality of the air itself.
Note that even if you install a fantastic air purifier, you still need to install robust filters on any of your at-home HVAC equipment. This includes your furnace, your intake zones, and your ductwork. Without addressing the problem holistically, the air purifier is forced to work against constant allergen entry rather than achieving a high indoor air quality as a whole.
5. Try Allergy Treatments
If you try these and other treatments for fall allergies without success, it may be time to seek additional treatment. Most experts recommend that patients start with allergy testing in an effort to identify exactly which triggers cause symptoms in the first place. From there, specially compounded prescription allergy medications and allergy desensitization treatment protocols may empower you to reduce your symptoms altogether. For some patients, desensitization is so effective symptoms eventually disappear for good. If you have questions about effective allergy treatments, speak with your pharmacist about your options.