Allergy Relief Resource and Guide

Do you feel you are taking your allergy medicine all year long?  With the rise in allergy medicines it is hard to avoid some prescription to steroidal medicines and antihistamines when you complain about seasonal allergies.  Natural allergy relief is being looked at for providing safer alternatives to all those drugs.  The search for natural allergy relief options usually kicks into high gear when allergy sufferers realize that the side effects and long term negative impacts of using their allergy medicine may not be worth it.

Last year I had a bad spell of what appeared to be a case of seasonal allergies.  I am pretty used to this by now so I implemented my usual routine of my prescription nasal spray and antihistamines.  I also have a daily routine of nasal cleansing as part of this too.  After a couple of weeks I still didn’t have any relief and I was so congested I was having hearing problems which led to what I now know is tinnitus.

I was so alarmed I stopped my allergy relief routine completely and began treating myself with over the counter cold and flu medicine.  I ended up at my primary care doctor’s office who looked at my nasal congestion in horror and disgust at my not having “managed my discomfort” with all of the medications at my disposal.  She in turn told me to blitz my nasal allergy symptoms with not only my prescription nasal spray but Benadryl as well.  I did tell her that my nasal spray had warnings for drowsiness but that did not seem to concern her.  There was never any mention of natural allergy relief options…

Coincidentally enough I was returning to see her the following week for my annual physical.  With a slew of blood tests that are the norm she found that a level of something in my liver was out of line.  In my mind I laughed.  I had just gone through a dizzying week of non-stop antihistamines , decongestants and steroidal nose spray so my body obviously did not like that.  I had to be tested again a week later and of course the levels were back to normal because I was no longer blitzing my nasal allergy symptoms.

This story illustrates not just the overreliance on strong medicines by traditional doctors but the damage their use can cause in your body.  The results were seen in a week.  Decongestants can cause high blood pressure and antihistamines especially the levels that usually work for me cause too much drowsiness.   You need to understand that I am more of a go to person for traditional medicine so natural allergy relief for me really has become a last option.

On the natural allergy relief front for antihistamines there were surprisingly a few options to look at.  Nettle, butterbur and quercetin are natural antihistamines.  They come in pill form.  Nasal cleansing which I already do also helps to manage the particles in your nose that may be causing an allergic reaction like pollen.  These use saline solutions which are not supposed to produce side effects.  On the immune system side natural allergy relief products can include fish oil capsules and zinc supplements that give your immune system a boost so you are less susceptible to your allergies.

Natural allergy relief alternatives will continue to play a major role in the treatment of allergies.  As the government gets more involved in the clear regulation of the natural remedies arena more people will find that alternative allergy treatments can be safe.  Concrete studies in the area of these alternatives will also bring them more into the mainstream.

For those who are tired of the side effects of traditional allergy treatments treating allergy with acupuncture is more than a possibility it is a reality for many folks.  In related studies acupuncture looks promising as alternative allergy treatment.  Most of us are trained to seek traditional medical treatments for allergy with most of them involving medications that of course come with side effects.  Acupuncture has no known side effects so for those sick of dealing with drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness and nausea this alternative allergy treatment is definitely worth a try.

So for those not familiar with acupuncture what is it?  Acupuncture attempts to treat and even cure diseases, ailments and pain with the use of needles inserted into specific pressure points in the body.  It is based on an ancient Chinese approach that attempts to not only treat the symptoms of a “disease” like allergies but also strives to get the body to cure itself.  Nowadays some modern approaches to acupuncture involve the use of lasers to trigger the body’s functions instead of with just the needles.  Neither of which includes the use of medicines though some practitioners also advocate the use of other herbal remedies in conjunction with the acupuncture.  So in essence treating allergy with acupuncture is a natural treatment.

Though seasonal allergy symptoms are being relieved by acupuncture other allergy sufferers like those with food allergies are also treating allergy with acupuncture.  Acupuncture offers relief from these allergies and information suggests that those that benefit most are those with allergies that affect the large intestines, the stomach, and the spleen.  A total understanding of how the acupuncture works should not  be a show stopper because you can ask questions of the acupuncturist who you may be considering.  Acupuncture can be performed through many different ways that include French Energetic, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), hand, and Worsley 5 Element and there are others. TCM is used in treating conditions that cause the patient to have a deficiency known as the Wei Qi (Chi). This deficiency is thought to make people susceptible to colds and respiratory infections that only acupuncture can reduce the impacts.

It is important to note that treating allergy with acupuncture can include advice from the practitioner to help overall health.  This is done to treat the complete person which should help improve the body’s overall immune system and therefore decrease allergy symptoms.  As stated earlier acupuncture is getting more modern with the use of lasers starting to phase out the more invasive use of needles.  Be sure to ask which method will be used.  Practitioners are also certified so make sure you understand what their training and qualifications are before you commit to treatment.

Allergy symptoms can be tormenting and many of us on medications may be on them for life.  Treating allergy with acupuncture will continue to increase in popularity as more and more of us look for natural alternative treatments to alleviate our symptoms.

Eye allergies can sometimes seem to take a back seat to many of the nasal and seasonal allergy symptoms that are complained about today.  Television commercials tend to focus on the sneezing and the congestion but many seasonal allergy sufferers also suffer from irritating eye allergies.  Some may debate whether eye allergies are really an allergy all to their own since many times they are basically a symptom of another type of allergy like nasal allergies.  What elevates it to it’s own category is how irritating and debilitating it can be to have your eyes affected by allergens.

Our eyes are such an important part of our everyday functioning that eye allergy symptoms can really make some of us dysfunctional.  Eye allergy symptoms include swollen, red and irritated eyes.  In more severe cases they can cause blurriness too.  Many times sufferers make their symptoms worse by rubbing their eyes.  Our eyes are particularly vulnerable since they are exposed to the elements so to speak.

The most common type of allergen to cause eyes to have an allergic reaction is pollen but any airborne type of particle can irritate the eye, especially those who have a history of allergies.  Dust can also be a culprit.  This can be blown into your environment by forced hot air systems or just blown around in the act of every day cleaning.

Can eye allergies be treated?  It of course depends on the cause of the allergic reaction itself.  The best approach to eye allergy treatment is really the old school method of identifying what your eyes are reacting to and doing your best to avoid those allergens.  In the case of dust and pollen, air cleaners also called air purifiers can decrease the level of those particles in the air.  Dry air also can irritate the eyes so humidifiers can also be useful.

The next phase of eye allergy treatment would be to look at both over the counter and prescription eye allergy medicines.  You do need to note that many allergy medicines for seasonal allergies do not directly address eye allergy symptoms.  Since eye allergies tend to be associated with nasal allergies many people think their nasal symptom medicine will help their eye allergy symptoms.  In general antihistamine type medicines may help but you may have to get dedicated prescription eye drops.  We have actually used Visine allergy drops for short eye allergy flare ups in our house but if these over the counter drops don’t work you really should consult with your doctor.  Prescription allergy eye drops are not that hard to use since you typically use them once or twice a day and can just be implemented in your normal morning and night routines.

It is important to note that eye allergies can be confused with actual eye infections caused by viruses and bacteria.  What most people think of as conjunctivitis can be broken down into viral, bacterial and allergic conjunctivitis so it is important to pay attention to your eye allergy symptoms and to see your doctor when they don’t get better.  Different medicines will be prescribed if it is not allergic conjunctivitis – eye allergies.  Either way managing and treating your eye allergies will improve your daily quality of life.

Allergy medicines are so prevalent nowadays one has to wonder what we would do without them.  Sadly whatever factors are contributing to the rise in allergies they don’t seem to be changing for the better.  Allergy medicines are advertised heavily during pollen season because so many of us suffer from seasonal allergies but they can be helpful at many other times as well.  I will confess my go to nasal allergy medicine is Benadryl.  Even though I have been prescribed and use Astelin for my nasal allergy symptoms sometimes I get caught unawares even after all these years.

Being outdoors tends to be a great enjoyment for most people particularly in the nicer weather associated with the spring and summer.  Even after a rain storm you may encounter enough pollen to cause problems and that is when you need to use allergy medicines.  If you are a gardener with allergies you also know that with all of the planting activity in the spring comes the risk of an allergy induced migraine or an unbelievable stuffy head.  By this time you should be in the routine of taking a daily medicine like Claritin to manage your seasonal allergies.

The timing of your use of allergy medicines in the spring usually works out well since spring cleaning tends to be an annual tradition in most houses.  Dust allergies can be triggered by all the cleaning done in the spring.  We also tend to open our windows to air out the house which of course lets the pollen in.  For cleaning in general though even outside the spring it might be wise to use allergy medicines like Benadryl to head it off at the pass since you are not using your seasonal allergy medicines at that point.

The trick to get the most out of the allergy medicines you use is to follow the dosing carefully especially for prescription medications.  You may not be on your allergy prevention regimen and that tends to cause problems with the effectiveness of your allergy medicines.  In my case if you do not take it once at night and once in the morning for a couple of days the effects are not as good so looking forward in terms of the pollen and your activities is key to making sure you are prepared.

Allergies can effect your quality of life so badly that not using your allergy medicines can make the difference between a great day and a bad day.  This also applies for your friends and family too who may be depending on your presence or participation in something important, believe me I know.

Fluconazole is a prescription drug being used for the treatment of mold allergies.  Mold allergy treatments can be very similar to those for hayfever and seasonal allergies.  Sometimes though more non mainstream approaches are necessary.  Fluconazole for mold allergies is becoming one of the mold allergy treatments that seem to be working for many mold allergy sufferers.

Chronic sinus problems and typical airborne allergy symptoms like sneezing and nasal congestion can confuse those with mold allergies.  You need to consider whether your symptoms persist even when pollen counts are not at levels that affect seasonal allergy sufferers.

Across the United States mold problems are increasing with the increased rains and snows of the last few years.  Mold grows in dark, wet places as well as being in the outdoors in the warmer weather.  Confirm that you indeed have a mold allergy by having your doctor take a culture of your nose.  Based on the kind of mold found your doctor may recommend an anti-fungal medication in addition to fluconazole for mold allergies.

Sickness can be caused by mold found inside the home and tends to affect those with weaker immune systems like kids and older adults.  If symptoms develop that make you think you have allergies you need to consider not just pollen but mold that can grow in your home as well.  One of the treatments your doctor or allergist may recommend is fluconazole for mold allergies.

Typically doctors exhaust other options before turning to fluconazole for mold allergies.  Prescription level medicines can have side effects so they usually are used last.  Fluconazole which also can go by Diflucan is used to treat yeast infections.  Yeast is a type of fungus so that is why the relationship developed to use fluconazole for mold allergies.

Whether you use fluconazole for allergies or any other mold allergy treatment, finding and cleaning up any mold problems in your house will undoubtedly help to alleviate your mold allergy symptoms as well.  Though some of the places where mold can grow are obvious like bathrooms and basements cleaning them may require professional help.

As someone who has suffered with sinus symptoms and nasal allergy symptoms as well it is interesting to see how mold allergy treatments may hold relief for symptoms that can last all year long.  As with any drug using fluconazole for mold allergies can cause side effects.  With the help of your doctor you can balance out the cost benefit of using this prescription medicine.  You should also ask them about cross effects with both over the counter and prescription that you are using as well.

Have seasonal allergies affected you this year? I was looking at the latest videos posted regarding allergies and found a recording of Robin Roberts from Good Morning America talking about what appear to be pollen allergy statistics for 2006. Though the data is dated it got me thinking about how the last few years have been particularly hard on me and my kids for spring allergies.

We live in the Boston area and in the video it talks about the worst and best cities. Boston was the worst that year. I found a new report for 2008 for the Worst Cities For Allergies provided by Forbes. Boston is down to 59 out of 100 but I found their measurement method interesting. They factor 3 things:

• a pollen score
• a medicine utilization score
• a score based on number of Board Certified Allergists per Patient

Boston scores above average for number of allergists per patient. In the older video it talks about warmer winters being the culprit and we indeed have experienced those in the NorthEast.

I find the Forbes list interesting but as with any study potentially flawed. Though Boston has dropped in standings many seasonal allergy sufferers are treating themselves nowadays with over the counter medicines like Claritin and Zyrtec. Pharmacies even offer cheaper versions with similar ingredients that I have tried and worked for me. Our higher allergist ratio also suggests to me that patients may have identified their allergies with their allergists in years past and are now educated enough to help manage them.

Whether you believe in Global Warming or not it is not hard to see the changes in our weather patterns will continue to affect seasonal allergy sufferers. As the allergists in the older video mention visiting your allergist to pinpoint your exact allergies can help, especially if the over the counter allergy medicines don’t work for you. Also be sure not to confuse cold medicine with allergy medicine. Allergy medicines contain antihistamines which cold medicines do not.