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Jan 05, 2024

Allergy Treatment Options: Home Remedies, Lifestyle, Drugs

There’s no cure for allergies, but treatment can improve your quality of life Whether you're dealing with hay fever, allergic dermatitis, or another allergy, you need treatment. Treatment options will

There’s no cure for allergies, but treatment can improve your quality of life

Whether you're dealing with hay fever, allergic dermatitis, or another allergy, you need treatment. Treatment options will depend on the type of allergy, its severity, and your unique needs.

The treatment that brings relief may be a prescription medication selected for you by an allergy specialist, over-the-counter (OTC) treatments, home remedies, avoiding your triggers, or a combination of approaches.

Here you'll learn everything you need to know to proactively address your allergy and feel better. You'll find out the treatment options, how your symptoms dictate the treatment you need, home remedies and lifestyle changes to consider, medication options, and more.

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If you're dealing with an allergy, the good news is that are some great strategies that can help. Such treatment can include the following:

Allergies can be unpredictable. Some people may only have slight issues, while others may have a pronounced reaction to the same substance. What's more, allergies can affect various parts of the body.

Someone with a pollen allergy may have nasal symptoms while a person with allergic contact dermatitis may be contending with an itchy rash, scaly skin, and blisters on the skin.

Some allergy symptoms are common and mild. These are symptoms that you can often manage on your own, with a run to your local drugstore an antihistamine for a decongestant:

Even mild symptoms like sneezing or a runny nose can become debilitating when they are constant. Likewise, a prescription cream may be needed if itching is all you can think about or your rash is beginning to weep.

If OTC medications are insufficient to reduce your symptoms, you may need to turn to an allergist who can prescribe a stronger medication or immunotherapy.

You should also be aware of severe allergic symptoms. These can indicate that you're having an anaphylactic reaction and include the following:

If you're experiencing these severe symptoms, you must go to the nearest hospital for treatment.

You can take many steps on your own to alleviate your allergy symptoms using practical home remedies.

For food allergies, avoidance is key. Learn how to read food labels to avoid the triggering food in all of its forms. Be diligent when dining away from home to ensure the food isn't being used in any dishes you consume.

For respiratory allergy symptoms (allergic rhinitis, hay fever), keep airborne allergens such as pollen, dander, dust mites, and mold from triggering allergies using the following methods:

Atopic dermatitis is affected by how you treat your skin. Some things that can help include:

Talk to a healthcare provider about whether supplements may help, such as the following:

OTC medications that treat allergies include:

If OTC medications are insufficient in relieving allergies, then it's time to bring in the big guns—potent prescription medications. Determining which is right for you will depend on several factors, such as the kind of allergy you have, how severe it is, and your individual needs. Fortunately, these tend to work for most people.

Here are some of the prescription options:

While medications and other common treatments can control allergies in most cases, sometimes it's necessary to step things up and consider more aggressive treatment when allergy symptoms persist. Here are some other approaches you may be encouraged to try.

The purpose of immunotherapy is to train the immune system not to overreact to substances such as pollen, insect venom, and dust mites. It works by incrementally introducing more and more of the substance to your system. In turn, your immune system becomes less reactive to them.

The common ways for allergy immunotherapy to be given are by allergy shots (injection) or sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) with allergy drops or tablets placed under the tongue. Not all allergies can be addressed with immunotherapy.

Asthma is sometimes triggered by an allergy. Those with severe asthma that doesn't respond to medications may be a candidate for bronchial thermoplasty. This procedure uses thermal energy (heat) to destroy some of the smooth muscles that otherwise would constrict your airways. With less smooth muscle, the number of asthma attacks can diminish.

You may choose to supplement more traditional treatment for allergies with an alternative approach. Research shows that the traditional Chinese medicine practice of acupuncture may help people with allergic rhinitis.

With acupuncture, extremely thin needles are inserted at various points of the body along what are called meridians. It is believed that energy known as Chi flows through these meridians. The idea is to use the needles to direct the flow of energy, which could be helpful in relieving allergic symptoms.

Most studies have been inconclusive. However, one small study comparing the use of traditional acupuncture to sham acupuncture treatments for seasonal allergic rhinitis showed that those who underwent the real treatment experienced an improvement in their quality of life. Talk to a healthcare provider about possible benefits and risks.

While you may be eager to get allergy treatment started, first check with your healthcare provider or allergy specialist. While allergy treatments can relieve symptoms, they may also cause side effects. Those who should take particular care include:

Also, anyone who has an underlying health condition should check with their healthcare provider to confirm this is safe before moving forward with treatment. They are there to help you navigate treatment and find the best approach.

Allergy symptoms can be relieved by allergen avoidance, OTC medications, prescription medications, and immunotherapy. Treatment will depend on your symptoms, allergen triggers, and reaction severity. Talk to a healthcare provider to determine what treatment is best for your condition and circumstances.

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Michigan Medicine. Why high blood pressure and cold meds don't mix.

By Maxine LipnerMaxine Lipner is a long-time health and medical writer with over 30 years of experience covering ophthalmology, oncology, and general health and wellness.