How To Stop Your Seasonal Allergies In Their Tracks

Are your seasonal allergies (a.k.a. hay fever) making you sneezy, dopey and grumpy? Do medicines make you sleepy, or not help at all? Too bashful to see your doc about a seemingly minor issue?

You’ll be happy to know most people can control their symptoms with a few simple measures, even when pollen is falling like white snow.

What are the major symptoms of seasonal allergies?

You’re probably familiar with these already, but common symptoms include:

• Watery, red and swollen eyes
• Runny, itchy nose
• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Congestion and sinus pain
• Itching in the back of your throat
• Fatigue

How can you tell if you’re experiencing allergies or a cold? Although many of the symptoms do overlap, allergies will persist for more than two or three days, and allergies alone shouldn’t cause a fever.

What causes seasonal allergies?

Seasonal allergies are experienced primarily in spring, summer and early fall. The primary cause is pollen, which is released from trees (in the spring) or grass and ragweed (in the summer and early fall). Plants fill the air with pollen because it spreads around reproductive cells to other plants. Unfortunately, every time you wander outside and take a deep breath, you suck pollen into your nose and lungs. Certain cells may respond to the incoming pollen by releasing antibodies that cause an allergic reaction.

What if I have allergic symptoms all year long, or only when I’m inside?

Your allergies may be “perennial” rather than “seasonal” (i.e. related to year-round airborne allergens rather than pollen). The most common causes are dust mites, animal dander, mold and cockroaches.

What medicines will help with my symptoms?

Almost all of the effective medications are available without a prescription.

Nasal steroid sprays — including Nasacort, Rhinocort, and Flonase — significantly reduce nasal symptoms (like runny nose and itching), sneezing, coughing, and congestion. Make sure to blow your nose before using these sprays, since they need to make direct contact with the lining of your nose and will otherwise get blocked by the mucous. Also, tilt your head back as you spray, so the medicine doesn’t just drip back out.

Oral antihistamines — including cetirizine/Zyrtec, fexofenadine/Allegra, and loratadine/Claritin — can also help relieve symptoms but are generally not as effective as the nasal sprays. In addition, some oral antihistamines – including diphenhydramine/Benadryl and chlorpheniramine – can cause sleepiness and confusion, especially in older adults.

You can also try washing out your nostrils once or twice per day using distilled water, which helps clear out allergens and improve your symptoms. You can spray the water up there using a Neti Pot or a bulb syringe.

Air purifiers and HEPA filters are not so effective for seasonal allergies, since the pollen is mostly located outside, and are designed more for perennial allergies resulting from animal dander and mites. It’s a good idea, however, to limit your exposure to pollen by keeping your windows shut.

When do I need to see a doctor?

Only if your symptoms aren’t controlled with the above measures. Doctors may do additional tests to confirm your specific allergies, look for other conditions with similar symptoms (such as non-allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis), and/or prescribe more powerful medications.

Christopher Kelly, M.D., M.S. and Marc Eisenberg, M.D., F.A.C.C. are cardiologists at Columbia University Medical Center and the authors of “AM I DYING?!: A Complete Guide To Your Symptoms and What To Do Next.”