Caused by both genes and the environment, allergies occur when your immune system is sensitive to something and you get a reaction. More than 50 million people in the U.S. suffer from allergies, and as stated on the web site of American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (www.aaaai.org), symptoms of an allergy include sneezing, swelling or asthma. Although an allergy is not life-threatening, it can be irritating and there are several different medicines available to treat it.
What to Look for
The web site mayoclinic.com says that some of the most common allergy medications used are pills, nasal sprays, eye drops and skin creams. Getting monthly allergy shots may seem like a hassle at first, but they can be the best method if your allergy is not responding to a medicine or if the side effects are too painful. Allergy shots have a buildup phase (where you get shots one to three times a week for three to seven months to help your immune system to get more used to them) and a maintenance phase (where once a month you will get a dose of allergens to keep preventing the allergy from reoccurring).
Antihistamines may be prescribed by a doctor for such allergies as hay fever and can prevent such symptoms as hives, a runny nose or watery eyes. Decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine, can stop nasal and sinus congestion, but should not be used if you suffer from high blood pressure. Leukotriene modifiers are pills or chewable tablets, given out only by prescription, and block the effects of leukotrienes. Leukotrienes are inflammatory chemicals that are released by the immune system during an allergic reaction.
Common Pitfalls
Although allergy medicine can solve the problem it can cause some side effects. According to the web site healthline.com some of the affects caused by antihistamines are drowsiness and sometimes making a child learn slower. Nasal sprays are overall safe to use but should not be used for more than a few days as they can have a ?rebound? effect and make the congestion even worse. Allergy shots do not cure the symptoms of a reaction for everyone, and therefore require visits to the doctor.
