Allergies Plus Shortness of Breath?
- Steven Rubinstein, M.D.
Question
I struggle with seasonal allergies and take Claritin, plus use a neti pot. This season, I have also had shortness of breath and light coughing, but no wheezing. It's hard to do my usual workouts. Is there some kind of inhaler I can use?
Answer
The long term treatment of choice for seasonal allergies is the now over-the-counter nasal sprays, like Flonase or Nasacort.
Note that there is no immediate relief from them - they work slowly, over several days or weeks, to prevent allergy symptoms. They should be used after you use the neti pot. Claritin can be continued on an as-needed basis.
These medicines will optimally help your chest symptoms, but if they do not within a few days, you really need to see your primary care physician. You may have mild asthma. There are no over-the-counter inhalers currently available to treat asthma. Know that it is fairly common for allergy patients to develop mild asthma in the seasons when the pollen count is high.
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