Allergies can be the root cause of a lot of misery. Hence, every year, countless people get allergy testing done. Nevertheless, we are lucky to be living in the 21^st century. Today, there are plenty of options that we have to manage our allergy symptoms. Moreover, medical research has also studied a number of natural ways to recover from these symptoms quickly. In general, however, a good diet and proper hygiene can go a long way!

Some common ways to treat allergy symptoms

The ultimate goal should be to find a treatment that suits the allergies, wallet, and lifestyle. In this article, we talk about a number of common ways in which you can get prevent allergies and their symptoms.

These include:

Decongestants

Decongestants help in providing relief from a stuffy nose and nasal congestion. Usually, these medicines are only used for the short term and can provide quick relieve by clearing off your nasal pathways. However, some decongestants may increase your blood pressure and heart rate. As a result of this, sleeping might become difficult.

Moreover, decongestants can also make some existing conditions worse such as glaucoma and prostate problems. In case you have heart problems, ask your doctor before using decongestants.

Moreover, these are not over the counter medicines. Everyday use of decongestant sprays can cause irreversible damage to the lining of your nose. So avoid using them very frequently.

Allergy shots

Allergy shots provide a lot of relief by reducing your sensitivity to the allergy triggers. In this type of therapy, a small number of allergens are injected in the body throughout regular intervals. It involves injections every week, for 3 to 6 months. During this time period, the dosage of the allergens is increased.

For seasonal allergies that result in symptoms such as nasal congestion, itchy skin, swollen eyes, and sneezing, this treatment is often quite effective. Moreover, allergy shots are recommended by most specialists for life-threatening conditions such as allergies to insect stings. Moreover, it may also help in treating allergic asthma. However, currently, allergy shots are not used in the treatment of food allergies. Moreover, there is always a risk of a threatening allergic reaction from the shot.

However, researchers estimate that due to the dosing schedules and improvements in the allergy extracts, only 1% of the allergy shots may cause an allergic reaction.

Use of Antihistamines

Antihistamines are medicines that are primarily used for treating itchy eyes, runny noses, and the sneezes that come due to allergies. Antihistamines also provide relief from hives and other food allergy symptoms.

Some people suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis, also referred to as hay fever. These people must be familiar with both chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) and diphenhydramine (Benadryl). These are both the older antihistamines. While both of these drugs work very well even today, they can leave one feeling out of their body or groggy.

We are quite fortunate that the new generation of antihistamines in the market that include Loratadine (Claritin), Fexofenadine (Allegra), Desloratadine (Clarinex), and Cetrizine (Zyrtec). This new generation of antihistamines has a long-lasting effect. As a result of this, they can be taken only once a day rather than the usual every six-hour routine for the older ones.

Are there any natural antihistamines?

Butterbur is one of the most well-researched and promising natural supplements used as an antihistamine. According to some studies, an extract from butterbur referred to as ze 339 can be used as an antihistamine. Moreover, plant-based pycnogenol and Phleum pratense can also be effective. Still, however, avoid self-medication and always seek help from your primary allergist specialist before consuming any medicine.