About 26 million Americans suffer from chronic seasonal allergies. The number of people who endure milder allergy symptoms may be as high as 40 million. Springtime is beginning of "allergy season" mainly because of new growth in trees and weeds. For most people allergies are just annoying, but for some with severe allergy symptoms or asthma they may be life-threatening. Trees are the main cause of allergies in the spring but summer and fall each bring their own culprits like grasses, weeds and molds.

Allergies are the body's immune response to substances in the environment. Scientists believe allergies began millions of years ago as a way for the body to rid itself of invading parasites. Now they are an immune response to other foreign substances in the body, primarily plant pollens but also other substances such as dust mites, mold spores, and animal dander. The immune system reacts to these foreign substances by producing an immune globulin called IgE. IgE triggers the release of histamine and other chemicals in the body that are responsible for the symptoms of allergies including runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes. The more a person is exposed to allergens, the more IgE they produce, hence allergies generally worsen with age.

Good news in the treatment of allergies is that many medications used to treat allergies that used to require a prescription are now available over the counter without a prescription. Some of these include Nasalcrom nasal spray which contains cromolyn sodium that stabilizes mast cells to reduce the release of histamine in the body. The antihistamines Claritin (loratidine) and Zyrtec (cetirizine) have also recently been made available without a prescription. Benefits of these newer antihistamines are that they cause far less drowsiness than older antihistamines and they need only be taken once a day. Another consideration is that there are generic versions of these medications available at much lower costs than the brand names. Purchasing the generic versions of these medications over the counter may be a cost-saving measure, especially for older Americans concerned about the coverage gap ("doughnut hole") common to many Medicare Part D drug benefits. The long-lasting antihistamine eye drop Zaditor (ketotifen fumarate) is also now available over the counter for relief of symptoms of the eyes associated with allergies. Another recent development regarding over-the-counter medications is the requirement for products containing pseudoephedrine to be sold "behind the counter" in limited quantities accompanied by proof of identification. Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant that reduces sinus congestion without causing drowsiness. Pseudoephedrine is also a primary ingredient in the production of illegal methamphetamine which is the reason for tighter control of its availability.

Seasonal allergies are a very common problem in the US costing our healthcare system billions of dollars in diagnosis and treatment. Very effective ("gold standard") medications are available over the counter to treat the symptoms of seasonal allergies. These powerful medications may have contraindications and side effects that users should be aware of. Ask your pharmacist to help you select the best over-the-counter medications to treat your allergy symptoms and avoid problems associated with their use.

Reference: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1998/298_nose.html.

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