by Bella Cooper

Created on: April 18, 2009

From runny noses to itchy hives, the spring-time is a nightmare for allergy-sufferers! Although allergy symptoms can be very frustrating to live with, there are several over-the-counter treatments that can help reduce the symptoms rather quickly. Here is a guide describing the different options for allergy treatments that can be found at your local pharmacy.

Antihistamines

For all types of allergy symptoms, antihistamines can help reduce the suffereing. This is because following an allergic reaction, histamines are released, causing allergy symptoms. Antihistamines work by competing with histamine for receptor sites. There are many over-the-counter antihistamine medications available, including Dimetapp, Benadryl, Claritin, and Tavist. The primary side-effect of antihistamines is drowsiness. There are some over-the-counter options that are non-drowsy, such as Claritin and Zyrtec, which was recently made over-the-counter. Zyrtec may cause drowsiness in some people, however, so try it out in the evening on your first treatment.

Decongestants

One of the most annoying springtime allergy symptoms is nasal congestion and runny nose. Decongestions can offer relief to these symptoms by narrowing the blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the nasal passage. An example of a common over-the-counter decongestant is Sudafed. The major side-effect of decongestants is a potetion increase of blood pressure as well as sleeplessness.

Nasal sprays

Another way to reduce nasal symptoms is to use steroidal nasal sprays, which act by reducing inflammation in the nasal passage itself. Some examples include Veramyst, Flonase, Nasarel and Nasonex. In addition to steroidal sprays, there are also decongestant nasal sprays available over-the-counter, such as Afrin, Neo-Synephrine and Dristan spray.

Allergy eye drops

Itchy, watery eyes are another common symptom of springtime allergies. There are a few different options out there to treat this. First, there are antihistamine eye drops which inhibit histamine release, such as Visine-A. There are also anti-inflammatory eye drops, like Acular, or steroidal eye drops, like Lotemax. Finally, there are decongestant eye drops, such as Allerest, Clear Eyes or Naphcon.

Topical corticosteroids

For allergic reactions on the skin, corticosteroids can reduce the swelling and itchiness. These treatments can vary greatly in potency, the strongest requiring prescriptions. Over-the-counter options include Cortaid and Cortisone 10.

Often times allergy treatments can be used in combination. For instance, there are many medications available that act as both antihistamines and decongestants. Nasal sprays, eye drops, and topical treatments can be used as a supplement to these, to relieve symptoms in particularly bothersome areas.

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