Spring is the most active season for allergies. The amount of allergen in the air, including pollen, increase dramatically and take allergy to the next level. Fortunately, there are several ways to treat and even curb season allergies.

This post focuses on the best treatments for seasonal allergies. We will cover the best methods to manage allergy symptoms and prevent them, if possible.

Symptoms and Causes of Hay Fever

The most common season allergy is hay fever, allergic rhinitis (AR) in medical terms, an allergy that airborne pollen induces. The CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says is a significant issue in the United States. It affects around 20 million Americans over 18 years old annually.

Unfortunately, most hay fever victims just suffer through the symptoms without seeking treatment. Perhaps it is because they don’t know they are allergic or begin treating themselves.

To help you identify whether you suffer from hay fever, here is the list of symptoms this allergy induce:

• Runny nose
• Watery, itchy, and reddening eyes
• Nasal congestion
• Coughs
• Sneezing
• Scratchy throat, nose, or roof of the mouth
• Postnatal drip (makes you feel like you constantly want to clear your throat)
• Fatigue

Most of the hay fever symptoms are similar to the common cold. But the surefire way to identify that you have an allergic reaction is that you don’t have fever or body aches. Fever and body aches usually are part of the common cold symptoms.

Additionally, if you suffer from the symptoms for more than a week, an allergy probably causes them. Common cold symptoms don’t typically last for more than a week. On the other hand, allergic reactions will stay for as long as exposed to triggering allergens.

The triggers of hay fever are primarily seasonal. Although they are not all in the spring, most of them are active at a particular time of the year. The allergy factors include:

• Tree pollen – most common in early spring
• Grass pollen – peaking in late spring and during summer
• Ragweed pollen – primarily during fall
• Pet dander – although technically perennial or year-round, dander can be at its worst during winter, when homes are closed up.

Aside from these seasonal factors of the hay fever allergy, some are perennial. These factors include dust mites, cockroaches, and spores from either outdoor or indoor fungi.

Best Ways to Treat Seasonal Allergies

Intranasal Steroids

Intranasal steroids come in different names, such as steroid nasal spray or corticosteroid nasal sprays. They are anti-inflammatory medicines that you can spray into your nasal cavities, generally through the nose. Intranasal steroids are the most effective and easily accessible treatment medicine for seasonal allergy symptoms.

What makes intranasal steroids effective in alleviating allergy symptoms is their anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is the body’s response to perceived threats – typically viruses or bacteria. But with an allergy, the body still perceives harmless pollens as threats to immunity, therefore attacking them and causing inflammation.

Most intranasal steroids are available in pharmacies as over-the-counter medications. However, some of them are only purchasable on prescription. The examples of intranasal steroids are budesonide, fluticasone, beclometasone, and mometasone.

You can use intranasal steroids as a constant, long-term treatment or just when you know your allergies will begin acting up. It is advisable to start using them about a week or two before you think your seasonal allergy symptoms manifest. Intranasal steroids take a few days to work, so it’s best to start administering them even before symptoms begin.

The downside to intranasal steroid sprays is that they don’t work so well for itchy eyes. Most intranasal steroid sprays come with an instruction manual on using them.

Oral Antihistamine

Oral antihistamine is medication for asthma but can target itchy eyes. But if you decide on taking this medicine, make sure you get the non-drowsy variety as some oral antihistamines can make you drowsy. Sleepiness is just one of the potential side-effects of antihistamines, so beware of which type you take.

Antihistamines work because they inhibit the effects of a naturally-occurring substance called histamine. Histamine is the substance the body produces that results in itchiness, watery eyes, sneezing, and a runny nose.

Examples of antihistamines include cetirizine and fexofenadine.

Allergen Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy better addresses the causes of seasonal allergies rather than just its symptoms. The ENT Allergy & Sinus Center immunotherapy comprises small weekly allergy shots. Allergy injections over a prolonged period gradually train your body not to overreact to allergens.

Dr. David Hartman, one of ENT’s compassionate healthcare providers, will inject you with allergy shots for an entire year or until necessary. After that initial year, Dr. Hartman will decide how best to proceed with your treatment.

The principle behind immunotherapy is somewhat similar to immersion therapy, a psychological technique. Immersion therapy helps patients overcome psychological fears by exposing them to the causes of anxiety or panic in increasing increments. Little by little, the phobic can learn to face their fears until they are gone.

But in immunotherapy, instead of facing their fears, patients introduce triggers to their bodies in small increments. Over time, your body will learn not to cause inflammation or release histamines when in contact with allergens. 

Allergen Avoidance

While your body reacts to allergens in radical and hindering ways, it is best to learn how to avoid allergens. Standard allergen avoidance techniques include shutting out breezes, washing up and changing clothes after being outdoors, wearing a mask, and more.

With ENT, you will learn how to best cope with any seasonal allergy. Through allergy skin testing, you can find out your allergy triggers. Allergy skin testing exposes your skin to common allergens to discover which ones trigger allergic reactions.

Allergy skin testing results with ENT are available after only 20 minutes. Once the test yields results, we will discuss the best treatment plan for you.

Reach Out to ENT Allergy & Sinus Center

Contact ENT Allergy & Sinus Center today for the best allergy treatment. We are at 335 Oxford St., Suite A, Dover, Ohio 44622. You can call us at (330) 602-8833 or fax us at (330) 602-8832.