Allergic rhinitis has no curative treatment. There are, however, some measures that can be taken to reduce symptoms and discomfort. Here are some sinus allergy medications that you should consider taking if you have bad allergies.
Sinus Allergy Medication Options
Nasal Sprays
– Steroids: the nasal spray is a sinus allergy medication that reduces inflammation and nasal congestion, but should be taken regularly to be effective
– Short-acting antihistamines can reduce symptoms but can cause drowsiness. Most can be purchased without a prescription. Before administering these medicines to children, you should consult a pediatrician as they may affect the children’s learning abilities. Loratadine (Clarinex) is very good for treating allergies. It does not tend to cause sleepiness or impairment in children’s ability to learn.
– Long-acting antihistamines cause less drowsiness and do not affect the ability to learn. These medicines contain fexofenadine (Allegra) and cetirizine (Zyrtec). Steroid nasal sprays have an excellent effect on people with severe symptoms caused by antihistamines. These prescriptions include fluticasone (Flonase), mometasone (Nasonex), and (Nasacort).
– Azelastine (Astelin) is a new antihistamine drug that is used as a sinus allergy medication.
– Decongestants can be helpful in reducing the symptoms of allergic rhinitis (nasal congestion), but they can not be used for long periods of time.
– Cromolyn sodium is a nasal spray (Nasalcrom) used for the treatment of chronic rhinitis. It is also available in eye drops.
– Leukotriene Singulair is a drug that helps in controlling asthma and reduces seasonal allergy symptoms.
Oral steroids
These drugs [, (Medrol), hydrocortisone (Hydrocortone, Cortef)] are very effective in allergic patients. However, there is potential for severe adverse reactions if used for long periods of time. These are mostly used for short-term management of allergic problems, and a physician should always monitor their use. These are reserved for severe cases that do not respond to the usual treatment with nasal and antihistamine sprays.
Immunotherapy
For a more natural approach, you can try the allergy shots. These shots contain a tiny amount of the allergen so that your immune system can spot it and learn how to fight future allergen infections. These allergy shots are only for common allergens like mites, dander, mold, and pollen. The treatment is not permanent. For longer benefits, you should take the shots for 3-5 years.
Another type of immunotherapy is sublingual immunotherapy. This treatment doesn’t involve shots; it consists of a pill that you can take daily, for several months. The tablet will dissolve under your tongue, thus the name ‘sublingual.’
For ragweed pollen, you have Ragwitek; for grass pollen, you have Oralair and Grastek; for dust mite, you have Odactra. In severe cases, short doses of corticosteroid therapy are needed along with the above treatments.
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