Seasonal Allergies

Over a quarter of adults have seasonal allergies. Runny nose, coughing, and painful sinuses affect over 80 million Americans, especially in Spring. If you are one of these people, you don’t want to spend hundreds on allergy meds at your local store. Learn exactly what you need and how to get it online cheaper than your big-box store.

What Are Seasonal Allergies?

Having a multi-week-long runny nose or sneezing and coughing throughout April is a good indicator that you have seasonal allergies. The pollen, grass, and ragweed are all at their first in Spring, giving allergy sufferers a hard time. The important thing to note is that allergies aren’t a sickness, no matter how sick you feel. Instead, your body is treating these common natural elements as intruders that need to be dealt with. Your body creates mucus to trap the pollen before it has a chance to enter any further, a job well done according to your body, not so much to you.

What Are the Different Types of Seasonal Allergy Medication?

Luckily allergy medications are as prevalent as allergies. Here are the main types and how they work.

Antihistamines

Histamine is the chemical your immune system releases to fight off intruders. It is also the main cause of your seasonal allergies. Antihistamines block that chemical from being released to hopefully relieve your body's response to pollen, grass, weeds, and whatever else may be causing the overreaction. They come in multiple forms pill, liquid, and nasal spray. The nasal spray is seen as the most effective since it is usually the origin of your symptoms. Be careful as most antihistamines can make you drowsy. Common antihistamines include: ● Azelastine (Prescription Level) ● Brompheniramine (Dimetapp Allergy, Nasahist B) ● Cetirizine (Zyrtec) ● Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) ● Fexofenadine (Allegra) ● Levocetirizine (Xyzal) ● Loratadine (Alavert, Claritin) ● Olopatadine (Prescription Level)

Decongestants

For short-term nasal relief, you may want to take decongestants. As the name implies, these clear congestion out of your nose. You can take decongestants with your antihistamines, which don’t usually offer decongestant properties. Taking these long-term can cause your congestion to become worse however which is why they are only recommended for a few days at a time. These also come in the form of pills, liquid, or nasal spray.

Nasal Corticosteroids

Also known as nasal steroids, these are in the form of nasal sprays. It works to reduce inflammation that causes symptoms such as runny nose, congestion, and sneezing. Due to the nature of this medication, it might also dry your nose out. Common side effects include a stinging sensation and nosebleeds. Like the other two listed, nasal corticosteroids can be purchased over the counter or prescription strength depending on the severity of your allergies.

Why Are Seasonal Allergy Medications Expensive in the USA?

The unfortunate truth is that rising temperatures across the globe are causing allergy season to last longer. That increase in time is causing an increase in the demand for treatment, and as we all know, an increase in demand creates an increase in price. Allergy medications are not the only ones we see rising in price every year. Due to FDA regulations and lack of federal oversight, the medications we rely on aren’t going to be lowered any time soon. In the meantime, here are some ways you can try to save on allergy medications. ● Ask your doctor for a script and see if insurance will cover ● Buy in bulk ● Don’t buy name brands, find the drug name on the package then buy the generic ● Use MyRx Outlet's prescription fulfillment service and buy discounted allergy medications online.