What medications are used to treat allergies?

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Allergies
Health videos on seasonal allergies, including allergy treatment options.

Answer

There are also natural homeopathic remedies available to treat allergies. My good friend has suffered with allergies for many years and he says that he is extremely happy with a homeopathic treatment (sinuswars1)that he is currently using. It helped treat his symptoms without any side effects- lol before he used sinuswars remedy, he would always fall asleep whenever he came over for a drink (at that time was using some type of antihistamine).

Anyway my wife also used a sinuswars remedy to help treat her sinus infection.. i am really impressed with this company, but I'm sure there are a lot of other great homeopathic remedies available that can help treat your allergies.

Answer

OTC antihistamines - most are sedating but may overexcite kids or cause hallucinations (in me, some do). For example, benadryl, brompheniramine. Benadryl is the drug of choice for an acute allergic attack because it is effective within 20 minutes, reaches maximum effectiveness at an hour, and wears off in 6 hours.

OTC decongestants - only help stuffy nose. May excite.

Other antihistamines such as seldane (12 hour) and hismanol (24 hour) - for adults only! May or may not work. May have severe side effects - talk to your doctor. Some, such as Guaifed, are available in dosages for children; your doctor will have to decide whether these are appropriate.

Sodium cromolyn (nasalcrom nosespray for allergies, intal by nebulizer or inhaler for asthma). Prevents mast cells from reacting, preventing allergic reactions. Takes at least a week for enough to build up in body, so needs to be taken regularly as preventative. Not useful for current symptoms. No known side effects. Won't work for some people.

Steroid nasal sprays [beconase, rhinocort] also prevent and reduce inflammation, but need several days of use before they are fully effective. They must be used daily in order to remain effective. Great preventative! Often works better than nasalcrom in adults.

Antihistamine eyedrops (optcon-a, vasocon-a) - immediate relief for 8 hours. Works, but stings.

Bronchodilators [Ventolin, Bricanyl] - to open bronchial tubes for immediate relief from attack. Nebulizer most effective in acute attacks, then turbuhaler [not yet available in the US], then metred-dose inhalers and dischalers/rotohalers. Oral preparations [syrups, tablets] are least effective, requiring higher dosages to achieve the same effect as MDIs, and having generally significant side effects [because of the oral route]. These can makes kids hyper, grumpy; they make me shake. Great for occasional use. Most often used to treat acture asthma flare-ups, although some asthmatics must take them daily in addition to other medications. If you need to use bronchodilators more than twice a week, discuss with your doctor the use of an anti-inflammatory medication or other appropriate medication (Ex. intal, steroid, or theophyline).

Epipen/AnaKit (epinephrine autoinjector) - an autoinjection (shot) most commonly given for anaphylactic reactions. Carry this with you at all times if you've ever had this severe a reaction!

Nebulizer vs. inhaler (puffer, MDI) for intal and ventolin: Some individuals have poor reactions to [including having asthma attacks triggered by] the propellants in MDIs and cannot use them. Also, most children can't manage them until age 5, though some can manage at a younger age (some as early as 3). Children should use them with a spacer.

The nebulizer is a machine which drives air through liquid medication to make mist for a patient to breathe. Treatment takes 10-20 minutes. This is the most effective delivery system. Adults use a mouthpiece. Kids use a mask; if they refuse, you can blow the mist at them by mouthpiece.

Other alternatives to MDIs include rothalers and dischalers, which are powder inhalers, and a turbuhaler [not yet available in the USA], which is a breath-activated inhaler containing a very fine powder form of the drug. Turbuhalers contain ONLY the pure drug; there are no propellants, preservatives or other compounds present. Turbuhalers are more effective than MDIs, and some Paediatric ERs have switched to using Turbuhalers in the place of mask treatments for non-severe attacks. Turbuhalers should be available in the US within the next year; both inhaled corticosteroids and bronchodilators are available in turbuhaler form [e.g. Bricanyl and Pulmicort].

Answer

I am a hayfever sufferer who has tried it all, from allegra to zyrtec with little impact on my symptoms, which include allergic conjunctivitis. I have had some relief by limiting my wheat intake and through the use of a Neti pot, an ingenious (and inexpensive) ceramic pot designed to irrigate the sinuses. During allergy season I use mine three or four times per day and it cuts the itching almost immediately. Neti pots are widely available through catalogs such as Gaiam or at whole food markets and health food stores. Good luck.

Answer

Sinus, hay-fever and allergies sufferers are all signs of a low immune system and although medications are needed to a degree to relieve some of these symptoms they are simply not the answer and thus, this is why most people get little to no results.

In order to get rid of most of these problems the immune system has to be boosted by Antioxidants. Homeopathic medical doctors are the ones to see regarding building up the immune system. Pomegranate juice for instance is one wonderful drink to boost the immune system and blasted with Antioxidants from the natural fruit.

Drugs are generally band aids and give some relief, but don't get rid of the initial problem. So please, see a Homeopathic doctor and start boosting that immune system.

First answer by misc.kids. Last edit by Marcy. Contributor trust: 3903 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 165 [recommend question]