The medications listed in Worsen During Pregnancy can all be used while you are breast-feeding your baby. However, most of these medications will pass from the bloodstream into the breast milk and cause similar systemic side effects as those seen in the mother. Therefore, older, sedating anti-histamines such as diphenhydramine and chlorphen-iramine may also result [...]

Women go through a number of important physiologic and immunologic changes during pregnancy. Blood volume and estrogen levels both increase during pregnancy, which frequently lead to mucous membrane swelling in the nose. For this reason, many women who have no history of rhinitis develop nasal congestion during pregnancy. Women with allergic rhinitis may develop worsening [...]

If your child develops symptoms of seasonal nasal allergies, his or her physician will prescribe medications, such as oral antihistamines or intranasal steroids, for the symptoms. If these medications are effective, and do not result in any unwanted side effects, they can be used safely on a seasonal basis for many years. Because seasonal nasal [...]

Herbal remedies have a long track record of use through-out much of the world for a variety of ailments and have become increasingly popular in the United States over the past 2 decades. Patients are often attracted to the fact that these products are found in nature and that they have been used by indigenous [...]

Acupuncture is an ancient form of therapy that originated in Asia and is now practiced throughout the world for a large number of physical illnesses. In the United States, approximately 2 million people, or close to 1% of the population, seek acupuncture care each year, and 4% of the US population have used acupuncture at [...]

Administration of allergy shots, more appropriately called “specific allergen immunotherapy” or “allergen vaccine therapy,” is one of the oldest forms of treatment for allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis. At the turn of the 20th century, it was discovered that injection of increasing doses of grass allergen into patients with summer hay fever resulted in a marked [...]

I have severe asthma and nasal allergies, and my doctor has prescribed Xolair. Will this help my nasal symptoms as well?  Injectable omalizumab (Xolair) is a relatively new medication that has been approved for use in year-round allergic asthma. This medication, which consists of an antibody against IgE, is injected once to twice per month. [...]

How Should I Treat Them? Approximately 50% of people with nasal allergies also have allergic eye symptoms, known as  allergic conjunctivitis. The most common symptoms are some com-bination of redness, itching, and watering. If your eye symptoms are moderately severe and you have not had them before, you should always be checked by a physi-cian [...]

There are a number of pointers that may be useful to patients using intranasal sprays. It is important to realize that all available intranasal medications are atomizers that contain a liquid suspension. These types of devices work best when they are held upright in the vertical position and do not spray effectively when they are [...]

The most common adverse effects of intranasal steroids consist of local irritation, with burning and stinging of the nasal mucosa. Approximately 5–10% of patients using these drugs for 2 weeks or longer experience some degree of nasal bleeding, usually consisting of flecks of blood that are seen after forceful blowing of the nose. This problem [...]

Steroid medications can be divided into those that are derived from testosterone (androgenic steroids) and those that are related to cortisol (glucocorticoids). Androgenic steroids increase the synthesis of muscle tissue and have minimal effects upon inflammation, while glucocorticoids suppress inflammation and lead to the breakdown of muscle and fat tissue. Systemically administered glucocorticoids, given orally [...]

Montelukast (Singulair) blocks a chemical called “leukotriene D4,” which causes bronchial spasm and mucus secretion in the lungs and mucosal swelling and mucus secretion in the nose. Montelukast was approved several years ago for the treatment of bronchial asthma in chil-dren and adults, and more recently for children and adult patients with seasonal and year-round [...]

Decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine, act by con-stricting blood vessels in the nasal membranes and thereby reduce nasal swelling. These drugs have been shown to effectively reduce the sensation of nasal congestion but have minimal effects upon other nasal symptoms, such as sneezing, itching of the eyes or nose, or discharge. When given orally, these drugs [...]

Oral antihistamines have been in use since the 1950s and play a major role in treating allergic rhinitis. This class of drugs blocks the histamine H1 receptor. They are most effective in reducing symptoms of sneezing, nasal and ocular itching, and nasal discharge. However, they have very little effect upon nasal congestion. These medica-tions are [...]

Forty percent of households in the United States own at least one dog and 60% of people have regular contact with a dog either in their own home or in another loca-ion. As 10 to 15% of Americans are allergic to dogs, it makes sense that millions of people in this country will have recurring [...]

Air filters for home use can be divided into those that filter the air, called HEPA  filters, and  electrostatic air filters. HEPA filters consist of a filter and carbon prefilter, which together are capable of filtering particles as small as 0.2 micrometers from room air. HEPA filters will effectively remove both airborne allergens, including molds, [...]

While this question focuses on the role of cats in a patient’s allergy, the information presented here is applicable to most furry pets, including dogs, rabbits, rats, and other small hairy or furry pets. An accurate history is the first step in determining whether a pet is the cause of someone’s symptoms and whether removal [...]

Fungi, which include thousands of different types of molds and yeasts, are a key part of the outdoor ecosystem. Molds are the fungal organisms to which most patients develop allergies. While many patients believe they have a mold allergy, the only way to confirm this sensitivity is through an allergy skin test (prick/puncture) or blood [...]

House dust mites, whose technical names are  Der-matophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae, are microscopic insects that are relatives of the spider family. These tiny creatures are found throughout the world and live on a diet of sloughed human skin cells. An important component of their survival is a requirement of at least 45% relative indoor [...]

There are three basic steps to treating allergic rhinitis. The first step is to identify the allergens that the patient is sensitive to (by skin or blood testing) and institute measures for avoiding these allergens. There are specific, proven methods to reduce the levels of indoor allergens such as house dust mites, animal danders, indoor [...]