Best Allergy Medicine for Adults: Nasal Sprays vs. Oral Antihistamines
Seasonal allergies caused by pollen, pet dander, dust mites, mold, or other environmental allergens plague millions of people each year. This often has everyone frantically searching what the best allergy medicine is for adults.
After all, there are a ton of allergy medications available over the counter at any local pharmacy. Of course, OTC allergy medications aren’t the only option either as allergists can prescribe allergy meds you won’t find without a prescription.
Regardless, with so many choices to get allergy relief, how do you know which one is best? Well, let’s break it down and compare them!
Most Common Allergy Symptoms
Every allergy season, those suffering from seasonal allergies experience a wide range of allergy symptoms all at different levels of severity. Some of the most common allergy symptoms include a runny nose, itchy watery eyes, a stuffy nose or nasal congestion, and post-nasal drainage.
All of these symptoms of seasonal allergies which are also referred to as allergic rhinitis or hay fever are quite annoying. This is why people are always searching for allergy relief.
Types of OTC Allergy Medicine
Over-the-counter allergy medications can be divided into two main categories– oral antihistamines and nasal sprays.
Oral Antihistamines
Most drug stores are stocked with a wide variety of allergy pills, mainly oral antihistamine pills.
There are older antihistamines called first-generation antihistamines which are known for making you drowsy and lowering blood pressure and newer antihistamines called second-generation antihistamines. These newer antihistamines are popular because they offer 12 or 24-hour relief, make you less drowsy than older antihistamines, and are easy to just pop and go.
First-generation antihistamines are those like Benedryl, whereas second-generation antihistamines are those such as cetirizine (Zyrtec), loratadine (Claritin), and fexofenadine (Allegra).
Despite their popularity, for the most part, you will find that these OTC allergy medications make you “feel better” but don’t actually make the problem better. That is why some people feel the need to take them all the time, which we believe is never a good thing. They can also make some people feel “foggy” and cause other side effects since they are absorbed throughout the entire body.
Nasal Sprays
Most over-the-counter allergy nasal sprays are in the family of sprays called anti-inflammatory sprays. They are nasal steroid sprays that help prevent swelling and redness in your nasal passages.
Some of the most common ones are Nasacort allergy spray and Flonase allergy mist. Though these are effective and great for long-term use, they often take weeks to have an effect, and for many people, this is not enough.
We all want our runny nose and nasal congestion to go away as soon as possible! That is why when you see an allergist, they will prescribe another fast-acting prescription spray to go with the nasal steroid spray. They are a good complement to the slow-working nasal spray.
The best part of nasal sprays for allergies is that unlike a pill such as Claritin, they treat the nasal passages directly versus being absorbed throughout your whole system. This causes fewer side effects and increases effectiveness as it treats the problem at the source. Some can even last 24 hours depending on the severity.
Prescription Nasal Sprays
Let’s talk more about those prescription nasal sprays we mentioned above. Only a medical doctor (MD) can prescribe them, but it opens up opportunities to get even more effective allergy relief. These can include antihistamine nasal sprays like Azelastine, combination sprays, or something like Ipratropium which when used as a nasal spray is amazing for a runny nose.
Additional Allergy Treatments
Though oral medications and nasal sprays are by far the most common treatments for multiple allergy symptoms, there are other options. For itchy eyes, watery eyes, or both, eye drops are a great treatment because, like nasal sprays, they treat the cause of eye problems directly.
Some people also opt for allergy shots which slowly introduce small amounts of allergens to your immune system so that it eventually stops the allergic reaction you have with them.
Which is the Best Allergy Medicine for Adults?
So now that we have covered all of the options in-depth, the question remains: Which one is the best allergy medicine for adults? Well, when you weigh the pros and cons, nasal sprays, specifically prescription nasal sprays, are the best choice for immediate and long-term allergy relief. They treat nasal inflammation symptoms at the source, rarely cause any side effects, and can be targeted to your exact symptoms.
Allermi: A Revolutionary Nasal Spray for Allergies
Why have a different nasal spray for each symptom? Nasal steroid sprays are great for nasal congestion, nasal antihistamine sprays are excellent for both a runny nose and nasal congestion, and Ipratropium relieves a runny nose fast.
With Allermi, your allergist will choose each active ingredient in your custom nasal spray based on your individual symptoms. That’s right, you only have to use one nasal spray to get quick and long-lasting allergy relief.
