Over The Counter Allergy Medication

A lot of people suffer from allergies.  For most of us, the symptoms we experience are seasonal and only show up when the flowers come out and the pollen enters the air.  For others, though, allergies are suffered year round.  They could be allergic to anything from pets to pollution.  Common symptoms that people experience are sneezing, itchy eyes and runny noses.  At the extreme end of the spectrum, people can experience congestion so bad that it restricts their ability to breathe.  There are a ton of different medications on the market that claim to offer allergy relief.  Some of these are available off the shelf but what if your symptoms are really bad?  You should probably look into using an over the counter allergy medication.

There are basically two types of allergy medications that are available over the counter. The first and most common are in the antihistamine category. Some common brand names you'd recognize in this category would be Triamic, Actifed, Benadryl, Allegra And Claritin. All these products are antihistamines. They generally do a pretty good job of relieving the most common allergy symptoms.

If you find yourself sneezing a lot, or constantly having to tend to your runny nose, you may want to give one of these products a trial run.  Regardless of which one you choose to use, they all work essentially the same way.  You take them routinely.  This means that you shouldn't wait until your eyes are itchy and your nose is all stuffed up before you take it.  If you know you're going to be spending time outside in the garden, or inside playing with the cat, take a dose of pills.  Doing so will get your body prepared to deal with the allergens before they even enter your system.  There are some side effects to using a Claritin or a Benadryl though.  The most common and potentially dangerous one is drowsiness.  If you are prone to feeling light-headed due to medication intake, you shouldn't drive a car or operate any heavy machines while on an allergy medication.  Because most people don't experience the common symptoms while driving or using a skill saw, this really isn't usually an issue.  Other possible side effects of antihistamines are dry mouth, constipation, urination troubles, and blurred vision.  Children sometimes experience some unique side effects when taking these drugs as well.  In extreme cases, they may have nightmares or become very irritable.  One thing worth mentioning is that side effects do dissipate with regular usage of a particular product.  This means that if you frequently take Zyrtec, for example, the drowsiness and blurred vision shouldn't be present after a few uses.  Antihistamines shouldn't be used in combination with other drugs though.  Things like antidepressants, sleeping pills and alcohol, in particular, are bad news when mixed with allergies medicines.  All in all, these kinds of drugs are a safe bet if you want some relief from your allergies though.  Most patients experience a drop in their symptoms ranging from 50% to 80%.

The other common type of over the counter allergy medication is a decongestant.  The range of symptoms that this kind of medicine takes care of isn't quite as wide as the antihistamines.  Things like itching and sneezing, for example, won't really be affected by the use of most decongestants.  If you suffer primarily from stuffy nose and drainage type issues though, this type of medicine could definitely help you.  It's what's known as a topical med and takes the from of either eye drops or a nasal spray.  It works by closing certain cavities in your nasal passages, reducing the blood flow and thus offering relief.  If you want to try these products out, ask your pharmacist about Nasonex or Veramyst.  These are two of the most common brands of nasal sprays available for allergy sufferers.

Your best bet for allergy relief, to tell you the truth, is to combine both types of meds outlined above.  Try a dose of Clarinex with occasional inhaling from a Veramyst.  If in doubt, though, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.  They can help you find the best OTC allergy medicines for your specific symptoms.