FAQs about Allergy Relief Medications

What causes allergies?

• An allergic reaction occurs when your body’s immune system reacts to a foreign substance (“allergen”) such as pollen or dust.
• In response to the allergen, your body releases a chemical called histamine that causes symptoms such as a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing.

What can I do to help prevent allergy symptoms?

The best thing is to know what triggers your symptoms and avoid them.

• Stay indoors when pollen counts are high (check your newspaper, the internet at http://www.aaaai.org or call 1-800-9-POLLEN for pollen reports).
• Keep your doors and windows closed and use an air conditioner instead.
• Keep your home thoroughly clean to reduce dust in the air.
• Shower after coming in from outdoors, with special attention to your hair – put on fresh clothing.
• Wash hands to remove pollens and do not rub face or eyes with hands.
• For more information, please ask your provider for the “Avoid Your Allergy Triggers” document.

What types of allergy medications are available without a prescription?

• Antihistamines such as chlorpheniramine and “non-drowsy” loratadine (Claritin, Alavert) provide relief from sneezing, runny nose and itching.
• Decongestants like pseudoephedrine provide relief from stuffy nose and ears.
• Eye drops such as Artificial Tears and Opcon-A can help treat irritated, itchy eyes.
• Saline nasal sprays such as Ocean help wash crust, dry mucous and inhaled particles from the nose.
• The Sinus Rinse Kit can be helpful for thick nasal mucus accumulation.
• If your allergies are not controlled with over-the-counter medications, you may wish to contact your physician for a prescription anti-inflammatory nasal spray such as Nasarel.

How do the prescription nasal sprays treat allergy symptoms?

• Nasal symptoms are caused when nasal passages get inflamed by the body’s response to allergens.
• Prescription anti-inflammatory nasal sprays such as flunisolide (Nasarel®) decrease the inflammation of the lining in your nose and relieve sneezing, itchy nose and congestion. They are the most effective group of medications for chronic treatment of allergy symptoms.
• Prescription nasal sprays do not work immediately and may take a few days to notice the benefit.
• They provide non-drowsy relief and have minimal side effects.
• If you also use a saline spray or sinus rinse kit, wait at least 15 minutes before using the prescription nasal spray to allow the saline to completely drain.
• To minimize side effects when using nasal sprays, tilt your head forward and point the spray away from the septum (the wall between the nostrils). Use your RIGHT hand when spraying the LEFT nostril and your LEFT hand for the RIGHT nostril. Alternate sides if you use more than one spray per nostril.

Disclaimer
If you think you have a MEDICAL OR PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY or go to the nearest hospital. DO NOT attempt to access emergency care through this web site. An emergency medical condition is a medical or psychiatric condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in any of the following: serious jeopardy to your health, serious impairment to your bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part. An emergency medical condition is also "active labor," which means a labor when there is inadequate time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery or if a transfer poses a threat to the health of the member or unborn child.

This site may contain links to other web sites outside of www.permanente.net. Kaiser Permanente has no control over the content or the availability of these sites, and is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Web sites. Web links are provided as an educational tool, and should not be relied upon for personal diagnosis or treatment. A link or reference to a web site should not be construed as an endorsement of the site or its contents. Any medical content that you feel may be important to your health should always be discussed with your Kaiser Permanente physician.