The Importance Of Taking Allergy Medication Daily

Taking allergy medication regularly can play a crucial role in preventing the onset of symptoms in the future. For individuals experiencing year-round symptoms, daily medication may be necessary and safe. However, depending on the specific medications taken on a daily basis, there can be potential risks and adverse effects down the line. According to Dr. Purvi Parikh, a board-certified allergist and clinical assistant professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, medications containing decongestants can actually worsen allergies over time, leading to a condition known as rebound congestion. This occurs when congestion becomes significantly worse as the medication wears off. To avoid future problems, it is advisable to consider long-term usage of allergy medications such as claritin (loratadine), zyrtec (cetirizine), and allegra (fexofenadine), as they have proven to be effective without causing any major complications. It’s important to note that sedation or drowsiness may be a concern with antihistamines, potentially impacting daily tasks. In this article presented by TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the importance of daily allergy medication. This will cover the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment options, preventive measures, and strategies for effectively managing this condition in everyday life.

Everyone is exposed to allergens everyday such as outdoor pollen or even pet hair. The best way to improve your allergies is to start by changing environments. Some changes can be making sure all the pet hair is picked up or keeping the house closed up when the pollen is bad. Also getting an air purifier can really help make sure the air you are taking in is fresh of allergens. Some of these changes may not be possible in some situations. Treatments such as an allergy shot or immunotherapy or allergen desensitization can help eliminate many allergy symptoms that may occur overtime by building up your immune system’s tolerance for allergies. Immunotherapy is both subcutaneous and sublingual and is used to induce your immune tolerance and this affects a permanent cure for things such as hay fever.

Steroid nasal spray is often recommended for people to help with allergies. Now the word steroid may scare some people but in this case it’s to help with inflammation. Nasal spray is also a much safer option than taking a pill or shots. Allergy medication is never one fits all, when looking for an allergy medication it’s best to see an allergist to find out what works best with your symptoms.

“With the rate of allergies having gone up 30% to 40% in recent years, many people find it necessary to take allergy medication for longer periods.(News Medical)” Histamine is the molecule mainly involved in the cause of immediate symptoms of allergies by its near action on smooth muscle fibers and on blood vessels. This acts upon four types of receptors such as H1 to H4, the antihistamines act by blocking H1 receptors actions, these are which act as the prime responsible for allergy reactions. They reduce rashes, nasal congestion, cough, tearing up, and itching. These are the most common drugs when it comes to allergy medications. Antihistamines are also used for common cold, vertigo, motion sickness, and reducing tension from anxiety.

Type H2 involves specific antibodies known as immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM. There is a binding to destroy the antibody that the cell is on. This is a type of reaction which occurs after an organ transplant, when the body refuses the transplant and its own.

Type H3 is when an immune complex mediated reaction is bound to form an antibody and an antigen. This leads to the spiral effect of reactions within the body which goes to destroy local tissues.

Type H4 this involves delay of cell mediated reactions mediated by special immune cells known as T-cell lymphocytes. Then the T-cell takes a few hours to a few days to mount an allergic reaction.

There are two generations of antihistamines; the first is primarily classified as sedating and the second generation is not sedating. “This is based upon their ability to cross the blood brain barrier at recommended dosage.(News Medical)” The sedating ones can cause short term effects such as constipation, urinary retention, increased appetite, and dry mouth. Most side effects will wear off once the dosage is reduced or no longer use of the drug. The antihistamines that are non sedating are used mostly for long term allergy symptoms. Rarely they can cause acute self limited liver injury. There have been no serious side effects reported, in this case tolerance is not a problem.

Decongestant medications constrict small blood vessels in the skin and mucous membrane of the nose, mouth and ears. These decongestants can also produce other vascular features like headaches, sleepiness, increase in blood pressure and even irritability. These decongestants rapidly relieve the congestion of the nose or sinuses but only for a short while.

Mast cell stabilizers are drugs used to prevent the release of the chemicals such as histamines from the immune cells which are known as mast cells. These are used as eye drops or sprays, the effects are slow on effects of allergy symptoms. This is so the side effects don’t worsen, there are no current significant side effects known.

The epinephrine shot is used to treat life threatening forms of allergies known as anaphylaxis. This drug is a very powerful hormone that suppresses allergic phenomena nearly instantly. People with anaphylaxis often carry an autoinjector preloaded with epinephrine in case of exposure to allergenic substances.

Corticosteroids are what relieve nasal congestion, itching, swelling, and rashes. These use powerful anti-inflammatory components to help with these allergy symptoms. Long term use may cause the thinning of skin and mucous membranes, discoloration of skin. Corticosteroids come in sprays, eye drops, inhalers,creams, ointments, and oral pills. The eye drops can cause glaucoma, cataracts, and infection. They should not be used for more than two weeks without a prescription. Inhalers can cause yeast infection of the mouth and irritation of mucous membranes by mouth to throat. Oral corticosteroids can cause severe side effects such as muscle weakness, delayed growth when used as a child, osteoporosis, stomach ulcers, hyperglycemia, increased blood pressure and even cataract formation. Corticosteroids are very powerful; they favor the absorption of systemic circulation, which will lead to the disturbance of normal hormonal levels of the body.

Leukotriene inhibitors are drugs inhibited into one particular class of inflammation producing chemical known as leukotriene. This is the only pill that is class approved to cure hay fever. This is a class of drugs that is associated with psychological side effects such as hallucinations, anxiety, suicidal behaviors, depression, and insomnia.

It is important to take allergy medication everyday all year round if you have allergies that bad. Here are some ways and medication that could help you short term and long term in different situations.  Some may work for you or other people depending on what symptoms you have. There is something out there that can help you not be miserable, blowing your nose till it is raw or even having head pressure because you are congested.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as specific medical advice or practices endorsed by TGH Urgent Care. It is crucial to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for personalized medical advice. If you are currently experiencing a medical emergency, it is imperative to seek immediate medical attention. We recommend visiting one of our nearest walk-in clinics, and to streamline your visit, we encourage you to utilize our convenient OnmyWay system, designed to save you time in line.