Did someone say “pollen”?!?? 🌼
Are you starting to cough, have a runny nose, dry throat, or itchy/watery eyes?? 🙋♀️
Allergic rhinitis is inflammation of the nasal mucosa and respiratory tract leading to a build up of mucus, sneezing, and runny nose. Itching of the eyes and nose, post nasal drip, and cough are very common.
This is often triggered by allergens like pollen. First line treatment is avoiding the triggers! Easier said than done here in Georgia! 🤦♀️
The second step is medications.
2nd generation antihistamines like Zyrtec (cetirizine) or Claritin (loratadine) are highly selective to histamine in the nasal/respiratory tract and do not cross the blood-brain barrier (unlike Benadryl which is why Benadryl tends to have more side effects like sedation or irritability).
👃 Nasal allergy symptoms are treated best with nasal sprays, like Flonase, azelastine, or nasal saline. Kids may not like the thought of spraying mist in their noses, but the relief is worth it.
We see a lot of comorbid conditions with allergy season. Asthma, eczema or dry skin, allergic conjunctivitis 👁️ These conditions sometimes warrant prescription medications.
It is important to stay up to date with your visits to address all these concerns and what medication would be the best for you!