5 Different Treatments for Allergies

If you’re one of the more than 50 million Americans who suffer from allergies, any contact with an allergen can cause an explosion of symptoms for you — itchy eyes, running nose, itchy throat, sneezing, the works.

While there’s no cure for allergies, many treatments do exist that can relieve your symptoms and make your life much better each day.

Here at Health Solutions, with offices in Tinley Park, Rockford, and Olympia Fields, Illinois, and Munster, Indiana, our team of board-certified specialists wants to help you overcome whatever allergies you’re facing. Here are five different treatments we recommend to give you relief.

Avoidance strategies

The best way to avoid a flare-up of symptoms is to steer clear of the allergens that cause your symptoms in the first place! This can include removing a known source of allergens from your home or avoiding a certain location where you know an allergen will be located. If you’re allergic to cats, for instance, you’ll want to limit visits to a friend’s house who has a cat.

Antihistamines

One of the most popular allergy treatments is antihistamines, which block histamine, a chemical that causes allergic swelling. Antihistamines can calm down itching, sneezing, a runny nose, and hives. Some antihistamines cause drowsiness, so be aware which kind you’re taking.

Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids relieve allergy symptoms by suppressing allergy-related inflammation. They include nasal sprays that relieve stuffiness and sneezing, inhalers that treat asthma, eyedrops to relieve itchy or watery eyes, and skin cream to relieve allergic skin reactions.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a preventive treatment that trains your body to become less reactive to allergens. The therapy works by introducing gradually-increasing amounts of the allergen to your body over time, which allows your body to begin producing antibodies to fight the allergen in the future. Immunotherapy can include allergy shots or sublingual (under the tongue) tablets.

Emergency epinephrine shots

Emergency epinephrine shots are used to treat anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening allergic reaction. They are administered with an auto-injecting syringe and needle device you should carry if you know you have a severe allergic reaction to a specific food, such as peanuts, or to a specific incident, such as a bee sting.

Every individual is different, so our expert team at Health Solutions can work with you to determine the best treatment for your allergy situation. Just call our office location nearest to you to book an appointment, or use our online scheduler to choose your own time. We’ll ease your symptoms and get you back to normal life as soon as possible!