Nasal Allergy Treatment Options

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A great way to avoid nasal allergy symptoms is to try to steer clear of the things that trigger your allergies. Of course, that's not always possible or practical. Different treatment options are available—from over-the-counter products, to prescription medications, to allergy shots and alternative therapies.

Some people don't take nasal allergy medicines because they consider their symptoms an annoyance they just have to bear. However, there are effective treatment options with proven safety profiles that can help treat nasal allergy symptoms. Learn more about these options, plus different types of allergy tests, in this section.

Antihistamines and Decongestants

Antihistamines help block the action of histamine, a substance produced by our bodies during an allergic reaction. Decongestants fight nasal congestion by constricting blood vessels. These treatments for nasal allergy symptoms are available as both prescription and over-the-counter medications, and are sometimes used together.

Inhaled Nasal Steroids

Prescription inhaled nasal steroids, or corticosteroids, are inhaled nasal sprays that treat seasonal and perennial (year-round) nasal allergy symptoms. They do not cause a "rebound effect," when nasal congestion worsens after you stop using a medication, which can occur when over-the-counter (OTC) decongestant nasal sprays have been used longer than the recommended period. Prescription inhaled nasal steroids have a proven safety profile, yet it is not known exactly how they work.

Immunotherapy (Allergy Shots) and Other Treatments

The goal of immunotherapy (allergy shots) is to "train" your immune system over time to be better able to tolerate the allergens that trigger your symptoms. Other treatments include mast cell stabilizers, which help to prevent the release of inflammatory chemicals during an allergic reaction, and leukotriene inhibitors, which help to block the effects of leukotrienes which are released during an allergic reaction.

Alternative Therapies

Alternative therapies include acupuncture and herbal treatments, among other things. They're considered alternative because they tend to be outside the mainstream of conventional medicine. While some people feel alternative therapies are helpful, their effectiveness as treatments for nasal allergy symptoms is not clinically proven by scientific studies. If you are considering using any of these therapies, talk to your doctor.

Allergy Tests

Allergy tests—including skin tests and blood tests—can help confirm the diagnosis of nasal allergies. They can also help identify the specific allergens that are causing the reactions.

There's no cure for nasal allergies, but there are treatments to help manage most symptoms

Even though medications may relieve your nasal allergy symptoms, none of these treatments is a cure for nasal allergies. And each treatment has different benefits and drawbacks. See your doctor to determine which treatment is best for you.

If year-round or seasonal nasal allergies are a problem for you, ask your doctor about NASONEX®, which is approved by the FDA to treat year-round (indoor) and seasonal (outdoor) nasal allergy symptoms in patients 2 years of age and older. With NASONEX® your symptoms may improve in as little as 11 hours of initial treatment (based on single-dose studies done in a park during the pollen season and in a controlled pollen exposure room). The maximum benefit of NASONEX® is usually achieved within 1 to 2 weeks.

If you're bothered by seasonal nasal allergy symptoms, ask your doctor about NASONEX®. Only prescription NASONEX® is clinically proven to help prevent most seasonal nasal allergy symptoms before they start in patients 12 years of age and older so they can have more symptom-free days (versus placebo). It is important to start treatment 2 to 4 weeks before allergy season begins. For best results, use NASONEX® regularly as prescribed by your doctor.