dear nurse #1

this question comes from playful professional....wondering what i can tell her about allergies. well, this is a very broad subject im afraid....and there are sooo many different kinds of allergies. especially based on the climate you live in, the pollutants, environment, etc. its crazy, but all of these things will affect ones allergies. my daughter jaelynn was a healthy child until i moved to Wisconsin. the change in environment, (and putting her in daycare) threw her immune system for a huge loop.

there are several different allergy medications on the market-millions of them....a few of which have recently become available over the counter. some lingo you may want to familiarize yourself with....

antihistamine-well-ill try to give a brief overview of what a histamine is in 'lay mans terms'....and what an antihistamine is and what it does, etc.... a histamine is a compound in the body that is released in the body in response to an allergic and inflammatory reactions causing contraction of smooth muscle and dilation of capillaries. therefore....an antihistamine.....is a drug that inhibits the physiologic effects of this-or STOPS this.... what YOU need to know when you are shopping (FOR OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATIONS): antihistamines will make you SLEEPY. ***it is important to note that in children--they can do the opposite of sleepy and can cause children to be hyper or restless. (benadryl causes one of my daughters to sleep and the other to be a maniac) Benadryl is one of the most popular antihistamines on the market. it is commonly used as a sleep aid, too. (i use this to help me sleep-it is non habit forming and works wonders.) most prescription and non-prescription allergy medications are antihistamines or have some type of anithistamine in them. some cause more drowsiness than others-and some cause none.

decongestants: simply are medications-oral or nasal, used to relieve nasal congestion.

steroids/corticosteroids: typically used in more severe allergies-often breathing related, they have various metabolic functions, but help to decrease inflammation. these are always prescribed medications.


Here are some of the more popular drugs out there currently: *some are over the counter and some are prescriptions*

Zyrtec Oral (this just came out as OVER THE COUNTER, so you no longer need a prescription) : This medication is an antihistamine which provides relief of seasonal and perennial allergy symptoms such as watery eyes, runny nose (rhinitis), itching eyes, and sneezing. It is also used for hives.

Allegra Oral: is an antihistamine that provides relief of seasonal allergy symptoms such as runny or itchy nose, sneezing, itchy throat, and watery, itchy, or red eyes. It is also used for hives.

Nasonex Nasal: This medication is used to prevent and treat seasonal and year-round allergy symptoms of the nose (stuffiness or congestion, runny nose, itching, and sneezing). It is also used to treat growths in the nose (nasal polyps).


Claritin Oral(this also just came out OVER THE COUNTER-so no prescription needed): is an antihistamine that provides relief of seasonal and year-round allergy symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, and watery/itching eyes. It may also be used to treat hives.

Decadron Oral: is used to treat conditions such as arthritis, blood/hormone/immune system disorders, allergic reactions, certain skin and eye conditions, breathing problems, certain bowel disorders, and certain cancers. It is also used as a test for an adrenal gland disorder (Cushing's syndrome). (this is a steroid)

Fluticasone Nasal (flonase) medication is a corticosteroid that works directly on the nasal passages to reduce swelling and inflammation. Fluticasone is used to relieve seasonal and year-round, allergic and non-allergic nasal symptoms such as itching, runny or stuffy nose, postnasal drip and sneezing in adults and children 4 years of age and older.


well, i am not sure if this helps....but allergies are a complicated little guy.... :/ i am one of the very few, fortunate ones to never really have suffered from them...occasionally, i get a bout of seasonal allergies, but not really. what i do know of them, is that it is a lot of trial and error. some medications that work for one person, may not work for another. this can be frustrating, BUT the positive thing is, that there a lot of medications out there-so you have options. i hope i answered your question.... :) until next monday.... nurse tera signing off.....