Combating Spring Allergies

Seunga (Jasmine) Han, PharmD Candidate

Allergic Rhinitis

Do you ever find yourself endlessly sneezing in the springtime? Or constantly experience stuffy or runny nose? Are your eyes or skin ever unusually itchy at this time? If this is the case for you, then you likely have allergic rhinitis. Also known as hay fever, allergic rhinitis occurs when your body’s immune system overreacts to something in the environment that is otherwise fairly harmless.¹ Despite the name “hay fever”, it’s rarely associated with exposure to hay, or fever.^1,2 In fact, if you do have a fever or any of the following signs and symptoms, it’s important that you seek further assistance from a healthcare provider: 

• Pain
• Loss of smell or taste
• Recurrent nosebleed
• Purulent discharge from the nose or eyes
• Postnasal drip

What are the symptoms of allergic rhinitis?

As mentioned before, symptoms of allergic rhinitis include:²

• Sneezing
• Itchy skin
• Stuff/runny nose
• Itchy, red, watery eyes
• A feeling of fullness, or popping in the ears
• A feeling of pressure over the cheeks or forehead

What Are Some of the Causes of Allergic Rhinitis?

There are many causes of allergic rhinitis, and this varies based on geographic location and the frequency of symptoms. Intermittent allergic rhinitis, or previously known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, may be caused by grasses, outdoor mould spores, weeds, and trees.³ For others who experience symptoms all year around, it may be due to dust mites, indoor moulds, animal dander, or occupation allergens.³

Is There Anything I Can Do About It?

Yes! Here are five easy ways to help manage your allergies this spring:

#1 Prevention

Prevention is the first step in the management of allergic rhinitis; it can be much easier to prevent your symptoms from ever happening than to treat them when they’ve already become a problem.² It’s important to take appropriate measure to avoid common allergens like pollen, indoor/outdoor moulds, dust mites, animal, and occupational allergens whenever possible. The following are some suggested tips for each possible trigger:²

• Pollen: keep windows and doors closed at home or in the car; shower and wash hair after outdoor activities.
• Outdoor moulds: remain in a closed environment.
• Indoor moulds: avoid humidifiers and cool mist vaporizers; use dehumidifiers if the area is damp; remove houseplants; use a fungicide on sinks, shower stalls, storage areas, and garbage pails.
• Dust mites: avoid carpeting bedroom and main living areas; choose plastic, leather or wood furniture; consider the use of a facemask during cleaning or vacuuming.
• Animal allergens: if possible, limit the amount of time animals spend in the house or bedrooms of allergic individuals; replace carpets with hard flooring.

#2 Saline

Once preventative measures have been taken, saline spray and irrigation may be used to reduce symptoms related to the nose.²

#3 Antihistamines

If any of the above methods don’t work, and you’re already experiencing symptoms, then a first-generation antihistamine like diphenhydramine (Benadryl^®) can provide quick and effective relief, but may cause drowsiness, and only lasts a few hours.  On the other hand, most second-generation antihistamines last for 24 hours, and don’t cause drowsiness, but may take longer to act. Second generation antihistamines include cetirizine (Reactine^®), desloratadine (Aerius^®), fexofenadine (Allegra^®), or loratadine (Claritin^®). Antihistamines can be used to decrease itching, sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes, but don’t do much for nasal congestion. A quick tip: antihistamines work better when taken before exposure to allergens, and are a great preventative measure.²

#4 Decongestants

If you’re experiencing more nasal symptoms than anything, you could try using either oral or topical decongestants (nasal sprays). Oral decongestants (Sudafed^®) have weaker effects compared to nasal spray formulations. However, it’s important to limit the use of nasal spray decongestants (Dristan^®, Otrivin^®) to no more than 3-5 days as they could cause rebound congestion after stopping.^2,3

#5 Corticosteroids

Lastly, steroid nasal sprays, are the drugs of choice for those with moderate-severe or persistent allergic rhinitis.² These include mometasone furoate (Nasonex^®), fluticasone furoate (Avamys^®), and fluticasone propionate (Flonase^®).^2,3 The downside is that besides Flonase^®, these are prescription medications which may take up to 6-8 hours to see an effect. However, unlike some of the other options mentioned prior, the effects of steroids can last for weeks.² Side effects may include stinging, headache, or nosebleed.

Of course, this list doesn’t include all of what’s available for the management of allergic rhinitis but covers the most popular options. Additionally, if you’re caring for children, pregnant or breastfeeding, or have various medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, or angle-closure glaucoma, it’s important to discuss this with your healthcare provider beforehand to ensure safe and effective treatment.

We hope you took away something valuable from this piece. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this article or others, feel free to reach out to us on Instagram, Facebook, or at ask@orbishealth.ca with your feedback. We’d love to hear from you.

RESOURCES

1. American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
2. RxTx
3. DynaMed Plus