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Lundgren, Linnea, and Jeff Wald. "Allergy Treatment Basics." 03 May 2006. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/allergy-treatments-ga.htm> 17 May 2008.
by Linnea Lundgren and Jeff Wald, MD
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Allergy Nasal Sprays, Skin and Eye Treatments
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Allergy Nasal Sprays, Skin and Eye Treatments
If your allergies are causing irritation in a particular part of your body -- the nose, the skin, or the eyes -- there are treatments designed specifically to alleviate these symptoms. Here's what you need to know:Nasal Sprays
Antihistamines and decongestants aren't the only kinds of medication that can be delivered via nasal spray. Corticosteroids are hormones produced by the adrenal glands, but they can be synthetically manufactured. Allergy medications containing corticosteroids have the ability to interfere with the allergic reaction and prevent symptoms.
Nasal Sprays |
Nasal steroid sprays are prescription only, but NasalCrom, a spray that contains cromolyn sodium, can be purchased over the counter.
Many allergists prescribe corticosteroid nasal sprays, also called steroid nasal sprays (brand names include Beconase, Flonase, Nasacort, Nasonex, Nasarel, and Rhinocort), to give their patients long-lasting freedom from stuffiness or sneezing. Although improvement may be noticed less than a day after treatment begins, it may take up to seven days to reach peak effect.
Corticosteroid nasal sprays are not habit-forming, but they are not entirely free of side effects, which my include nasal irritation and burning, sore throat, and nose bleeds. However, the incidence of these side effects is low. Most of these sprays require only one application a day, making them as convenient as prescription antihistamines.
Corticosteroids also decrease nasal itching, sneezing, runny nose, and nasal congestion and are now considered the first line of treatment for allergies. Antihistamines are "second line" treatments.
However, patients must have patience to use this spray. NasalCrom is a relatively weak medication and must be used four times a day. It may take up to 60 days for NasalCrom to achieve its full potential, so it helps to start using it before allergy season begins. Side effects may include nasal burning and stinging.
Skin and Eye Allergy Treatments
While there are pharmacies full of decongestants and antihistamines, allergy relief for skin and eye irritation is not as readily available. There are a few products out there, however, and some precautions you should know about using them.
The most effective way to prevent contact dermatitis is to avoid whatever bothers the skin, be it soap, a cleaning agent, or a certain material or metal. Avoidance is easier said than done since the skin comes in contact with hundreds of substances daily.
Most dermatologists and allergists prescribe topical (meaning applied to the skin) corticosteroids, a popular means to reduce inflammation and stop itching. Oral OTC antihistamines also are used in treatment of minor allergic skin reactions, and the resulting sedating effects can help an itchy person catch some ZZZ's. When broken skin results in an infection, antibiotics may be prescribed.
The brand name products mentioned in this publication are trademarks or service marks of their respective companies. The mention of any product in this publication does not constitute an endorsement by the respective proprietors of Publications International, Ltd. or HowStuffWorks.com, nor does it constitute an endorsement by any of these companies that their products should be used in the manner described in this publication.
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Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this How Stuff Works article:
Lundgren, Linnea, and Jeff Wald. "Allergy Treatment Basics." 03 May 2006. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/allergy-treatments-ga.htm> 17 May 2008.
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Abdominal Bloating Abdominal Fullness Prematurely Afte... Abdominal Lumps Abdominal Mass Abdominal Pain Abdominal Rigidity Abdominal Sounds Abdominal Swelling Abnormal Posturing Abnormal Tooth Shape Abnormally Dark Or Light Skin Absent Menstruation Absent Thirst Agitation Ambiguous Genitalia Ankle Pain Appetite Decrease Appetite Increase Apraxia Arachnodactyly Armpit Lump Autistic Behavior Babinski's Reflex Bed Wetting Belching Binge Eating Blackheads Bleeding Gums Bleeding Into The Skin Blindness Blockage Of Leg Arteries Blood In The Semen Blood in Urine Bloody Or Tarry Stools Bone Pain Or Tenderness Bounding Pulse Bowel Incontinence Breast Lump Breast Pain Breath Odor Breath Sounds Breathing - Slowed Or Stopped Breathing Difficulty Breathing Difficulty When Lying Dow... Breathing That Sounds Abnormal Broad Nasal Bridge Bulging Fontanelles Bullae Chemosis Chest Pain Chills Clammy Skin Claw Foot Claw Hand Cloudy Cornea Clubbing Of The Fingers Or Toes Cold Intolerance Coloboma Of The Iris Comedones Confusion Constipation Contracture Deformity Coughing Coughing Up Blood Crying Excessively in Infants Cyst Decerebrate Posture Decorticate Posture Decreased Consciousness Decreased Urine Output Delayed Growth Delayed or Absent Tooth Formation Depression Diarrhea Difficulty with Urination Dizziness Drooling Drowsiness Dry Eyes Dry Hair Dry Skin Ear Discharge Earache Earlobe Creases Elbow Pain Epicanthal Folds Erection Problems Erosion Excessive Or Unwanted Hair In Women Excessive Thirst Excessive Urination Excessive Urination at Night Excessively Large Fontanelles Eye Burning, Itching and Discharge Eye Pain Eye Redness Eye Slant Eyelid Drooping Eyes That Bulge Face Pain Facial Paralysis Facial Swelling Fainting Fatigue Female Sexual Dysfunction Fever Finger Pain Fingers That Change Color Flank Pain Floating Stools Focal Neurological Deficits Foot Pain Foot, Leg, And Ankle Swelling Foul Smelling Stools Frequent Or Urgent Urination Frontal Bossing Gas (Flatulence) Gastrointestinal Bleeding Genital Sores (Female) Genital Sores (Male) Groin Lumps Groin Pain Gynecomastia Hair Loss Hallucinations Hand Or Foot Spasms Hand Tremors Headache Hearing Loss Heart Murmurs And Other Sounds Heart Palpitations Heartburn Heat Intolerance Heavy, Prolonged, or Irregular Mens... Heel Pain Hemolytic Crisis Hepatomegaly Heterochromia Hiccups Hip Pain Hoarseness Or Changing Voice Hump Behind The Shoulders Hyperactivity Hyperelastic Skin Hypermobile Joints Hyperventilation Hypotonia Impaired Smell Increased Head Circumference Indigestion Infantile Reflexes Intercostal Retractions Intertrigo Irritability Itching Jaundice (Yellow Skin) Joint Pain Joint Swelling Knee Pain Leg Pain Lichenified Limited Range Of Motion Lordosis Low Nasal Bridge Lower Back Pain Macule Malaise Memory Loss Metopic Ridge Microcephaly Micrognathia Morbid Obesity Morning Sickness Moro Reflex Motormental Retardation Mouth Sores Muscle Aches Muscle Atrophy Muscle Cramps Muscle Function Loss Muscle Twitching Nail Abnormalities Nasal Congestion Nasal Discharge Nasal Flaring Natal Teeth Nausea And Vomiting Neck Lumps Neck Pain Night Blindness Nightmares Nikolsky’s Sign Nipple Discharge Nodules Nosebleed Numbness And Tingling Obesity Opisthotonos Pain During Sexual Intercourse Painful Menstrual Periods Painful Urination Pale or Clay-Colored Stools Paleness Papule Patches Patchy Skin Color Pectus Carinatum Pectus Excavatum Penis Pain Photophobia Pilonidal Dimple Pinna Abnormalities And Low-set Ear... Point Tenderness Polydactyly Polyhydramnios Poor Feeding In Infants Preauricular Tag Or Pit Premenstrual Breast Tenderness and ... Prognathism Pupils That Are Different Sizes Purpura Pustules Rapid Shallow Breathing Rash in a Child Under 2 Years Rashes Rib Cage Pain Ridged Sutures Scales Scrotal Swelling Seizures Sensorineural Deafness Separated Sutures Shin Splints Short Philtrum Short Stature Shoulder Pain Simian Crease Skeletal Limb Abnormalities Skin Blushing/flushing Skin Discoloration Skin Lumps Skin Turgor Sleeping Difficulty Sneezing Snoring Sore Throat Spasticity Speech Impairment (adult) Splenomegaly Splinter Hemorrhages Strange Behavior Stress And Anxiety Striae Subcutaneous Emphysema Sunburn Sunken Fontanelles Supernumerary Nipples Swallowing Difficulty Swallowing Pain Or Burning Sweating Sweating Decrease Swelling Swollen Glands Swollen Gums Taste Impairment Telangiectasia Tenesmus Testicle Lump Testicle Pain Tinnitus Tongue Problems Tooth Discoloration Toothaches Ulcers Uncontrollable Eye Movements Uncontrollable Movement Uncontrolled Or Slow Movement Uncoordinated Movement Unpredictable Or Jerky Movement Urinary Incontinence Urine Discoloration Vaginal Bleeding Between Periods Vaginal Bleeding In Pregnancy Vaginal Discharge Vaginal Itching Vesicles Vision Problems Vomiting Blood Walking Abnormalities Watery Eyes Weak or Absent Pulse Weakness Webbing Of The Fingers Or Toes Weight Gain Weight Loss Wheezing White Spots in the Pupil Whitehead Widely Spaced Teeth Wrinkles Wrist Pain Yawning
DISEASES AND CONDITIONS GLOSSARY:
Aarskog Syndrome Aase Syndrome Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm ABO Incompatibility Abortion - Complete Abortion - Elective Or Therapeutic Abortion - Incomplete Abortion - Infected Abortion - Threatened Abscess Acanthosis Nigricans Achalasia Achilles Tendinitis Achondrogenesis Achondroplasia Acidosis Acne Acoustic Neuroma Acoustic Trauma Acquired Platelet Function Defect Acrodermatitis Acrodysostosis Acromegaly Actinic Keratosis Actinomycosis Acute Adrenal Crisis Acute Arterial Occlusion - Kidney Acute Bilateral Obstructive Uropath... Acute Bronchitis Acute Cerebellar Ataxia Acute Cholecystitis (Gallstones) Acute Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infecti... Acute Gouty Arthritis Acute HIV Infection Acute Interstitial Nephritis Not NS... Acute Kidney Failure Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) Acute Mountain Sickness Acute Myeloid Leukemia Acute Nephritic Syndrome Acute Pancreatitis Acute Tubular Necrosis Acute Unilateral Obstructive Uropat... Acute Upper Airway Obstruction Addison’s Disease Adenomyosis Adhesion Adjustment Disorder Adolescent Depression Adolescent Pregnancy Adrenocortical Carcinoma Adrenoleukodystrophy Adult Still's Disease Agammaglobulinemia Age-related Hearing Loss Agoraphobia Agranulocytosis Aicardi Syndrome AIDS Albinism Alcohol Withdrawal Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy Alcoholic Ketoacidosis Alcoholic Liver Disease Alcoholic Neuropathy Alcoholism Alkalosis Alkaptonuria Allergic Conjunctivitis Allergic Rhinitis Allergic Vasculitis Allergies Allergy To Mold - Dander - Dust Alopecia Areata Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Alport Syndrome Alström Syndrome Alveolar Abnormalities Alzheimer’s Disease Amaurosis Fugax Amblyopia Amebiasis Amebic Liver Abscess Amelogenesis Imperfecta Amenorrhea Amniotic Constriction Bands Amphetamine Or Sympathomimetic Into... Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Anal Fissure Analgesic Nephropathy Anaphylaxis Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Anemia Anemia - B12 Deficiency Anemia Of Chronic Disease Anencephaly Aneurysm Aneurysm In The Brain Angina Angiodysplasia Of The Colon Angioedema Ankylosing Spondylitis Annular Pancreas Anorchia Anorectal Abscess Anorexia Nervosa Anthrax Antisocial Personality Disorder Aortic Arch Syndrome Aortic Dissection Aortic Insufficiency Aortic Stenosis Apert Syndrome Apnea Of Prematurity Apoplexy Appendicitis ARDS (acute Respiratory Distress Sy... Arrhenoblastoma of the Ovary Arrhythmias Arterial Embolism Arterial Insufficiency Arteriosclerosis Of The Extremities Arteriovenous Malformation - Cerebr... Arthritis Asbestos-related Pleural Effusion Asbestosis Ascariasis Ascites Aseptic Meningitis Aseptic Necrosis Asherman Syndrome Asperger Syndrome Aspergillosis Aspiration Pneumonia Asthma Astigmatism Asymptomatic Bacteriuria Asymptomatic HIV Infection Ataxia-telangiectasia Atelectasis Atheroembolic Renal Disease Atherosclerosis Athlete's Foot Atrial Fibrillation/flutter Atrial Myxoma Atrial Septal Defect Atrophic Vaginitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Dis... Atypical Mycobacterial Infection Atypical Pneumonia Aural Polyps Autism Autoerythrocyte Sensitivity Autoimmune Disorders Autoimmune Hepatitis Autonomic Hyperreflexia Autonomic Neuropathy Avian Influenza Avoidant Personality Disorder Axillary Nerve Dysfunction&n