Research and studies say that about 20 to 30 percent of the population in the world suffer from allergic rhinitis. The allergic rhinitis or most commonly called the hay fever is evidently common. It is most certainly treated at home and does not generally require any testing or anything.
In This Article
Let’s Begin With What Is Allergic Rhinitis?
As we mentioned earlier, allergic rhinitis is also called hay fever. This hay fever is caused due to some allergens. These allergens could be anything like pollen or dust mites. It is surely called hay fever but the irony is that it’s neither caused by hay nor does it cause any fever. Allergic rhinitis is a condition when our body gives a reaction to certain substances in the environment. There are two types of hay fever, one is seasonal and another is perennial.
Now, let’s look at the symptoms
The symptoms of hay fever are similar to that of a common cold. It is related to the respiratory system and is seen only in the people who are allergic to the allergens. Mentioned below are the most common symptoms of hay fever.
- A runny nose.
- Uncontrolled sneezing.
- Congestion.
- Itchiness in the ear, nose or throat.
- Stuffy nose.
- Puffiness in eyes.
- Wheezing.
- Coughing.
- Irritation in the throat or ear.
- Redness of eyes.
- Watery eyes.
- Stuffy nose.
- Headache.
- Pain in the ears.
- Phlegm.
- Fatigue.
You might have found that most of these above mentioned symptoms match the symptoms of a common cold. The treatment for this can be done at home and is not that complicated. Today we will mention four options to counter allergic rhinitis.
Antihistamines
Antihistamines are mainly used for the treatment of allergies. When we get some allergy our body releases a secretion called histamine which causes inflammation. As the name indicates, antihistamine’s work is to resist the formation of histamines in the body. They do not overpower our body’s immune response to the allergies. Antihistamines work on inflammation that may occur in the body. This drug is utilized for a short term treatment.
However, if the allergies are chronic, antihistamines are not effective in that case. Apart from that, before consuming antihistamines, keep in mind that they may have some minor side effects.
Decongestants
As you see we have mentioned in the symptoms that stuffy nose is one of the symptoms of hay fever. Decongestants are those which help in the stuffy nose. Often antihistamines do not help relieve the congestion. In this case, decongestants help you with that problem.
Just like antihistamines, decongestant, the name itself tells that it counters the congestion. During allergies there is swelling on the inner lining of the nose. Decongestants help relieve this swelling by shrinking it and hence helps relieve congestion (stuffy nose).
There are many decongestants which can be purchased without a doctor’s prescription. They are available in nasal sprays, pills, tablets, nasal drops and also liquids.
Medicines With Levocetirizine And Montelukast
When our body encounters some allergy, just like histamine, leukotrienes is also one of the secretions. This also causes the allergy symptoms. You can use medicine which blocks this secretion. Montelukast and Levocetirizine are the medicines which have anti-allergic properties.
Medicines like Montair Lc Tablet have a combination of these two medicines. These medicines work on the chemicals or the secretions that cause the symptoms of allergy. The symptoms of allergic rhinitis like stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes and more are treated with these medicines. It is often recommended that these should be consumed during bed time as they make you sleepy.
Steroids
Steroids are said to be the medicines which have a comparatively lower risk. Intranasal corticosteroids are the type of steroids that work on the symptoms of hay fever. Studies have shown that steroids sometimes have better results than antihistamines. They are available as nasal sprays.
As nasal sprays do not directly affect the bloodstream on a large scale, they are considered to have a low risk factor. The common type of steroids used for hay fever are Zetonna, Rhinocort, Aerospan, Flonase, Nasarel and more.
