Antihistamines are the first line of defense against allergies. Prescription antihistamines include:
- Fexofenadine (Allegra and Allegra-D®)
- Loratadine (Claritin and Claritin-D®)
- Cetirizine (Zyrtec®)
Prescription antihistamines tend to cause less drowsiness than over-the-counter antihistamines.
There are many antihistamines on the market, including name brand, generic and store brand. The leading name brand over-the-counter antihistamines include:
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl®)
- Chlorpheniramine maleate and pseudoephedrine HCl (containing an antihistamine and nasal decongestant) (Sudafed®)
Nasal corticosteroids can also be prescribed to reduce inflammation caused by allergic rhinitis. Popular prescription nasal sprays include:
- Beclomethasone (Beconase®, Beconase AQ®, Vancenase®, and Vancenase AQ®).
- Bbudesonide (Rhinocort®)
- Flunisolide (Nasalide®)
- Fluticasone (Flonase®)
- Triamcinolone (Nasacort or Nasacort AQ®).
- Ipratropium (Atrovent®)
Allergy injections can be administered over several months to desensitize your immune system to specific allergens. Injections are administered in a doctor's office and should be closely medically supervised.
Additional Information about Allergies
- Allergies Overview
- Common symptoms of allergies
- Common causes of allergies
- Help me choose a natural and alternative treatment for allergies
- Dietary and lifestyle recommendations that may help in the treatment of allergies
- Cited Sources and Additional Reading for allergies
