{"id":36667,"date":"2025-03-13T20:59:12","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T20:59:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=36667"},"modified":"2025-03-17T21:17:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T21:17:57","slug":"your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\/","title":{"rendered":"Your guide to over-the-counter allergy medication","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Spring and summer provide ample opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, but these seasons are also prime time for allergy flare-ups.<\/p>\n<p>Twenty-five percent of adults and 18 percent of children in the U.S. experience <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/services\/ear-nose-throat\/nose-sinus-care\/\">seasonal allergies<\/a>, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/fastats\/allergies.htm\">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you fall into this category, you may find yourself perusing the aisles of a drugstore for relief. But how do you know which allergy medication to choose?<\/p>\n<p>Gina Kim, PharmD, supervisor of MultiCare retail pharmacy services, shares insight about different types of allergy medications and which ones may be best for your symptoms.<br \/>\n<a name=\"antihistamine\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Antihistamines<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Antihistamines are the most common medication used to treat allergies. They work by blocking histamines \u2014 chemicals our bodies release when the immune system comes into contact with allergens like pollen.<\/p>\n<p>Antihistamines help relieve:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sneezing<\/li>\n<li>Runny nose<\/li>\n<li>Itchiness<\/li>\n<li>Skin rashes or hives<\/li>\n<li>Itchy, watery eyes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here\u2019s what to consider when choosing an antihistamine:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Drowsy or nondrowsy? <\/strong>First-generation, or older, antihistamines like Benadryl are likely to cause drowsiness and may help you fall asleep in addition to relieving symptoms. Newer antihistamines, like Allegra, Claritin or Zyrtec, are less likely to make you sleepy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How long do you need relief?<\/strong> Some over-the-counter medications, including Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec, provide 24-hour relief, so you only need to take them once a day as needed. These allergy medications all begin working within a few hours and can safely be taken long-term.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Are you taking other medications?<\/strong> Avoid taking multiple medications with oral antihistamines in them without consulting a provider or pharmacist first.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cAll of the major newer antihistamines \u2014 Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec, for example \u2014 have the same active mechanism,\u201d Kim says. \u201cHowever, some people find that one medication works better for them than others, so you may need to try different ones to see what best suits you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pro tip:<\/strong> You may get the most relief if you take an antihistamine before exposure to an allergen (if you aren\u2019t taking them long-term) rather than afterward.<br \/>\n<a name=\"nasal-steroid-spray\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Nasal steroid spray<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Nasal steroid sprays \u2014 not to be confused with nasal decongestants \u2014 help calm the body\u2019s immune response to allergens, reducing inflammation and swelling in the nose. Steroid sprays help relieve:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nasal congestion<\/li>\n<li>Runny nose<\/li>\n<li>Sneezing<\/li>\n<li>Itchy nose<\/li>\n<li>Post-nasal drip<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cConsider a nasal steroid spray if your main issue is nasal congestion or if your allergies are severe,\u201d Kim says. \u201cYou can safely use a nasal steroid spray and antihistamine at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some nasal steroid sprays take time (up to a few weeks) to work, and you\u2019re likely to get the most relief if you take them every day during allergy season.<\/p>\n<p>Over-the-counter nasal steroid sprays, such as Flonase, Nasacort and Rhinocort, all work in the same way. However, here are a few things to consider when choosing one:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Scented or unscented<\/strong>. Flonase is scented with a synthetic floral fragrance. Nasacort and Rhinocort are unscented.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use of alcohol<\/strong>. Nasacort and Rhinocort are alcohol-free and may be gentler on the nose.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eye symptoms<\/strong>. Flonase can also help relieve itchy, watery eyes in addition to nasal symptoms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Pro tip:<\/strong> Blow your nose before taking the medication. Avoid pointing the tip of the nasal spray at your septum (the middle interior of the nose), as it can cause bleeding. Instead, angle the tip toward the outer side of the nostril. Avoid blowing your nose right after use.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spring and summer provide ample opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, but these seasons are also prime time for allergy flare-ups. Twenty-five percent of adults and 18 percent of children in the U.S. experience seasonal allergies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you fall into this category, you may find yourself perusing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":367,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,127],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ent","category-healthy-living"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Your guide to over-the-counter allergy medication - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Allergy season may send you to the pharmacy seeking relief. Find out which allergy medication may best relieve sneezing, runny nose and other symptoms.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Your guide to over-the-counter allergy medication - MultiCare Vitals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Allergy season may send you to the pharmacy seeking relief. Find out which allergy medication may best relieve sneezing, runny nose and other symptoms.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MultiCare Vitals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/multicarehealthsystem\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-13T20:59:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-17T21:17:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/derwl0zbi\/image\/upload\/v1741899366\/mc-prd\/woman-holding-otc-allergy-medications-pharmacy-drugstore.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"946\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Meredith Bailey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Meredith Bailey\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3d80971e5d1c5404ee17bb4be80bd913\"},\"headline\":\"Your guide to over-the-counter allergy medication\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-13T20:59:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-17T21:17:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":566,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Ear, Nose and Throat\",\"Healthy Living\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\\\/\",\"name\":\"Your guide to over-the-counter allergy medication - MultiCare Vitals\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-13T20:59:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-17T21:17:57+00:00\",\"description\":\"Allergy season may send you to the pharmacy seeking relief. Find out which allergy medication may best relieve sneezing, runny nose and other symptoms.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Your guide to over-the-counter allergy medication\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/\",\"name\":\"MultiCare Vitals\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MultiCare\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/15\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/MultiCare-Color.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/15\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/MultiCare-Color.png\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":409,\"caption\":\"MultiCare\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/multicarehealthsystem\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/multicarehealth\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/multicare-health-system\\\/mycompany\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/multicarehealth\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3d80971e5d1c5404ee17bb4be80bd913\",\"name\":\"Meredith Bailey\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/author\\\/meredithbailey\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Your guide to over-the-counter allergy medication - MultiCare Vitals","description":"Allergy season may send you to the pharmacy seeking relief. Find out which allergy medication may best relieve sneezing, runny nose and other symptoms.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Your guide to over-the-counter allergy medication - MultiCare Vitals","og_description":"Allergy season may send you to the pharmacy seeking relief. Find out which allergy medication may best relieve sneezing, runny nose and other symptoms.","og_url":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\/","og_site_name":"MultiCare Vitals","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/multicarehealthsystem","article_published_time":"2025-03-13T20:59:12+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-17T21:17:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1400,"height":946,"url":"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/derwl0zbi\/image\/upload\/v1741899366\/mc-prd\/woman-holding-otc-allergy-medications-pharmacy-drugstore.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Meredith Bailey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\/"},"author":{"name":"Meredith Bailey","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#\/schema\/person\/3d80971e5d1c5404ee17bb4be80bd913"},"headline":"Your guide to over-the-counter allergy medication","datePublished":"2025-03-13T20:59:12+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-17T21:17:57+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\/"},"wordCount":566,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Ear, Nose and Throat","Healthy Living"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\/","url":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\/","name":"Your guide to over-the-counter allergy medication - MultiCare Vitals","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-03-13T20:59:12+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-17T21:17:57+00:00","description":"Allergy season may send you to the pharmacy seeking relief. Find out which allergy medication may best relieve sneezing, runny nose and other symptoms.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/your-guide-to-over-the-counter-allergy-medication\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Your guide to over-the-counter allergy medication"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#website","url":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/","name":"MultiCare Vitals","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#organization","name":"MultiCare","url":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/05\/MultiCare-Color.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/05\/MultiCare-Color.png","width":1500,"height":409,"caption":"MultiCare"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/multicarehealthsystem","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/multicarehealth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/multicare-health-system\/mycompany\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/multicarehealth"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#\/schema\/person\/3d80971e5d1c5404ee17bb4be80bd913","name":"Meredith Bailey","url":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/author\/meredithbailey\/"}]}},"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/367"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36667"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36691,"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36667\/revisions\/36691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}