Breathe Easier

Many of us suffer from seasonal allergies, greeting spring or summer with a stuffy, runny or itchy nose; red, watery or itchy eyes; swollen eyelids; or a nagging cough. But airborne pollens aren’t the only allergens that can make eyes itch and noses twitch. Some people battle these symptoms year-round, thanks to dust mites, pet dander, smoke, smog and other ever-present irritants.

Whenever allergy-like symptoms appear, first check in with your doctor, says Joann Blessing-Moore, M.D., an allergist and immunologist with Mills-Peninsula Medical Group in Burlingame. Your doctor can evaluate you properly to rule out any potential underlying conditions that could be causing these symptoms. For example, a runny nose and cough may not be allergies at all, but rather a sinus infection or other respiratory ailment.

Because susceptibility to allergies is genetic, you can’t will them away, no matter how much you’d love to. What you can do is try to manage your exposure to allergens and treat symptoms as they arise.

Dr. Blessing-Moore suggests starting with simple remedies, such as nasal saline solutions. Also called saltwater nose sprays, these solutions gently wash pollen and other irritants from your nose so they’re not continually aggravating you. Find saline solutions at any drugstore, or make your own with 1 cup of water, ¼ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of baking soda.

If your symptoms persist, Dr. Blessing-Moore recommends loratadine, an over-the-counter antihistamine that won’t make you drowsy. If that doesn’t seem to help, there are also non-sedating prescription antihistamines that your doctor may suggest, as well as prescription nasal steroids and nasal sprays. But as with any medication, these can produce unwanted side effects. “Be careful with decongestant nasal sprays,” Dr. Blessing-Moore says. “You can get a sore nose if you overuse them.”

A Little Dose Will Do

Natural allergy remedies may not work for everyone—or at least not well enough to end all your symptoms. Don’t give up yet.

Surprisingly, sometimes the problem is also the cure. When introduced in small amounts, allergy desensitization therapies like shots ease the body into accepting the offending substance and help to prevent future immune responses. Allergy shots work like a vaccine. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, a doctor will inject you with gradually increasing doses of an allergen, which prompts your body to build up a tolerance to it. At first you might receive shots once or twice a week, and then as your system develops the appropriate antibodies, you’ll need maintenance shots only every couple of weeks or months.

An alternative to shots, sublingual drops (which go under the tongue) also help desensitize you to allergens. These work similarly but are only 70 percent as effective. Even so, since you can administer the drops at home, some people prefer them to seeing a doctor for regular injections.

Another approach to consider is enzyme-potentiated desensitization, a series of once-a-month shots that combine large varieties of allergens with enzymes that may increase the effectiveness of the shot. EPD has some scientific data to document its effectiveness, but it’s mostly supported by anecdotal evidence.

While quelling your allergy symptoms can help you live more comfortably, it’s also important for keeping you healthy long-term, Dr. Blessing-Moore says. Allergies can trigger asthma, along with more severe medical conditions. “Whatever is going on in the upper respiratory system may affect the lungs,” she says. “Remember, it’s all one airway.”