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Allergies – Medicines for allergy relief

Allergies – Medicines for allergy relief

About allergies
If you are not getting relief from allergies for a long duration and in your regular check up, your doctor says that there is no cure for allergies, please do not get surprised. In general terms, there is no real treatment for allergies. There can be treatments and medications to lower the symptoms, and the rest would be handled by how well our immune system functions. The common symptoms of allergy can include running nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing. These drugs can help ease these conditions and can provide relief. Let us take a look at few of these medications and the best medicine for allergy relief.

Antihistamines
These are the common type of compounds taken for allergy relief. They have been used for decades and are generally considered safe without any side effects. Antihistamines can be taken as tablets, syrup, nasal spray, or eye drops. Nasal sprays can be used regularly but only for a limited period and can provide significant relief from a running nose.

Antihistamines can include over the counter medications such as brompheniramine, cetirizine, chlorpheniramine, clemastine, diphenhydramine.

Decongestants
As the name suggests, decongestants are very beneficial in relieving congestion and is usually prescribed along with antihistamines. They come in various forms such a nasal sprays, eye drops, and liquids. Always ensure that you use nasal sprays only for a short period or a few days as prolonged use can worsen the condition.

Combination allergy drugs
These are commonly used when fighting against multiple allergy symptoms. They also effectively curb the spread of the allergens. In a word, they use both decongestants and antihistamines in the drugs combination.

Over-the-counter medications
These can include cetirizine and pseudoephedrine, fexofenadine and pseudoephedrine, diphenhydramine and pseudoephedrine, and naphazoline/pheniramine for allergic conjunctivitis.

Steroids
Steroids are known to reduce the inflammation associated with the allergies. They can curb your sneezing tendencies, nasal stuffiness, and itchy and runny nose. They can be used regularly; however, just consult your physician if you can take them as per your condition. They come in a variety of format, and they are easily available as tablets, nasal drops, eye drops, skin creams, and masks.

However, though steroids are safe, they can have some side effects if taken for a long duration. Some of them can include weight gain, fluid retention, diabetes, muscle weakness and spasms, and in some rare cases can be the reason for high blood pressure.

Do consult with your physician before you take steroids as most of the products are available over the counter and can be easily abused.

Apart from these, the medicines for allergy relief can include Immunotherapy which is nothing but allergy shots that can improve your immune system gradually in the fight against allergy.