by Jared Garrett

Created on: April 14, 2008

With spring barrelling toward us with all the grandeur of a ponderous, portly pachyderm doing ballet, it is time for allergy sufferers to take preemptive action. But what can we morose martyrs do in the face of relentless, rapid attacks from invisible pollen, dust and mold?

Worry no more, there are several good, viable options for treatment. Read on fellow spring allergy sufferers.

*Prescription meds.
If your allergic reactions are so severe that they impair your ability to go about a normal day, you might want to head to your doctor and have a pointed discussion. Be clear about the allergy cross you are bearing so that your medical professional can make the right decisions about the prescription antihistamine to give you.

Then, with your almost-as-valuable-as-gold paper clenched in your fist, head to the pharmacy and get it filled. Then follow directions. Not all antihistamines function immediately with your spring allergies. Some will take a few days to build up your resistance.

*Over-the-counter meds.
The list of over-the-counter antihistamines is as long as Pinocchio's lying nose. Benadryl, Claritin: which one is the best. The truth is that you'll want to try each out for a few weeks to discover which will work best for you individually.

As you experiment with over-the-counter antihistamines, do make sure you check the directions and follow them explicitly. Some of these medicines will make you drowsy, so you will have no business taking them and then operating a guillotine or other heavy machinery.

*Natural remedies.
Believe it or not, allergies have been around for about the same amount of time as the human race. Heck, even longer, as some primates have been shown to have hay fever. What did these ancient cultures do without Zyrtec? They found natural remedies. Here are a few that might work for you:

-Local honey is filled with the same pollen that is afflicting you, making you sneeze so much you feel as if your nose will soon retract into your face. If you consume some local honey, you are, in essence, innoculating yourself against the pollen in the air. While this doesn't work for everyone to the same degree, for some it is all they need.

-Alfalfa has also been shown to be an effective natural treatment for hay fever. Check out your local health food store and you should be able to find a supplement of some kind.

-Chiropractic and Acupuncture. These two therapies have also been shown to have an effect on allergic reactions. There are many holistic chiropractors who have found that when their patients' spines are properly adjusted, allergic reactions are reduced. As for acupuncture, it can help the energy flow in your body become more efficient and also improve organ function.

With all of these options, with the last two being by far the most pleasant, spring allergy sufferers have much less to worry about. So don't fear the pollen platoons or the mold mobilizations. You are now armed for battle and you will conquer.

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