{"id":9600,"date":"2022-09-21T20:55:31","date_gmt":"2022-09-22T03:55:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/?p=9600"},"modified":"2022-09-21T20:55:33","modified_gmt":"2022-09-22T03:55:33","slug":"can-i-treat-my-allergies-with-over-the-counter-medication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/can-i-treat-my-allergies-with-over-the-counter-medication\/","title":{"rendered":"Can I Treat My Allergies With Over-The-Counter Medication?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you find yourself regularly dealing with <a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/allergy\/allergies\/allergy-symptoms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">allergy symptoms<\/a> like a runny nose and itchy eyes every time you take a stroll through <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityofsalem.net\/Home\/Components\/FacilityDirectory\/FacilityDirectory\/144\/599\" target=\"_blank\">Geer Community Park<\/a>, you\u2019re probably eager to find relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several over-the-counter allergy (OTC) medications exist to help you manage your symptoms. Let\u2019s look at what your options are as well as when it may be time to visit an allergist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Types of OTC Allergy Medication <\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" src=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3783806-1280x853.jpg\" alt=\"Woman in her living room sneezing into a tissue.\" class=\"wp-image-9602\" srcset=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3783806-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3783806-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3783806-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3783806-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Antihistamines.<\/strong> If you have allergies, you\u2019re almost certainly familiar with popular antihistamines like Benadryl and Claritin. They work by blocking histamine, which is a chemical released by the immune system in response to coming into contact with allergens. Histamine causes common allergy symptoms like sneezing and a runny nose.<\/li><li><strong>Decongestants.<\/strong> These medications constrict nasal blood vessels. This reduces swollen tissues and improves your breathing. Common brands include Sudafed and Afrin, a nasal spray.<\/li><li><strong>Mast cell stabilizers.<\/strong> These work by blocking the release of chemicals in the immune system that contribute to an allergic reaction. They tend to be preventive rather than treating symptoms that are already present. Because of that, they can take several days before you see any effects.<\/li><li><strong>Corticosteroids.<\/strong> They help manage symptoms by suppressing allergy-related inflammation. They are often in the form of nasal sprays, such as Flonase or Nasonex, but can also be in eye drops, inhalers, skin creams or pill and liquid form.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are There Risks To Taking Over-The-Counter Allergy Medications?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, these medications are safe and well tolerated. However, any kind of medication can cause side effects. Additionally, you may be taking other medications or supplements that could potentially interfere with allergy medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because of this, it\u2019s a good idea to check with your doctor before starting any new OTC drug. According to the Mayo Clinic, it\u2019s especially important to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/allergies\/in-depth\/allergy-medications\/art-20047403\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">talk with your doctor about taking a new allergy medication<\/a> if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>You are pregnant or breastfeeding<\/li><li>You are taking other medications, including supplements<\/li><li>You have a chronic health condition, such as diabetes, glaucoma or high blood pressure<\/li><li>You are currently taking another allergy medication<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, children and older adults may need different doses or be more likely to experience side effects from these medications. Talk to a doctor if you are older or are managing medications for your child or an older relative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When To See an Allergist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you find that over-the-counter medication doesn\u2019t control your allergy symptoms or you are having severe reactions, make an appointment with an allergist. They can confirm your specific allergy triggers by performing <a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/allergy\/allergies\/allergy-testing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">allergy testing<\/a>, which will help determine your course of treatment, which may include prescription medication or immunotherapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information or to schedule an appointment, call <span class=\"company-name \">Willamette ENT &amp; Facial Plastic Surgery<\/span> today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><ul class=\"related-posts\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/spring-allergy-season-is-coming-should-you-start-immunotherapy-now\/\" class=\"related-post\">Spring Allergy Season Is Coming: Should You Start Immunotherapy Now?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/ways-to-manage-pet-allergies-at-home-2\/\" class=\"related-post\">Ways to Manage Pet Allergies at Home<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/study-shows-light-pollution-can-extend-allergy-season\/\" class=\"related-post\">Study Shows Light Pollution Can Extend Allergy Season<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you find yourself regularly dealing with allergy symptoms like a runny nose and itchy eyes every time you take a stroll through Geer Community Park, you\u2019re probably eager to find relief. Several over-the-counter allergy (OTC) medications exist to help you manage your symptoms. Let\u2019s look at what your options are as well as when&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9602,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Several over-the-counter allergy (OTC) medications exist to help you manage your symptoms. Let&#039;s examine the options.","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-allergy-center"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9600"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9604,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9600\/revisions\/9604"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}