Like 30% of the U.S. population, I also suffer from allergic rhinitis. My skin testing results are more impressive than most of my patients'. So, I'm often asked by my patients what I use to treat my own allergy symptoms. I've been on allergy shots in the past, mainly for fire ant allergy, and I tried allergy drops before offering them to my patients. I've also tried just about every allergy medicine currently available. But instead of using an allergy medicine indiscriminately, I base my choice on the symptoms I'm having. It doesn't make sense to take an antihistamine to treat nasal congestion -- because nasal congestion isn't caused by histamine. Similarly, a medicine like Singulair wouldn't be expected to help sneezing and nasal itching, because Singulair blocks leukotrienes, not histamine.
The best allergy medicine is one that would be expected to treat the allergy symptoms that a person is experiencing. When you see your allergist or primary care doctor, make sure you describe your allergy symptoms accurately, with an emphasis on which symptom bothers you the most. Your doctor should then be able to choose an allergy medicine that will best suit your needs.
Read more:
- Symptom-Based Allergy Treatment
- What is the Best Allergy Medicine?
- Overview of Hay Fever Treatments
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