3 effective ways to get relief from allergy symptoms

Knowing all the methods available for treating allergies is the first step to defeating them. Depending on the severity, you might need to try several courses of action before you decide what works for you.  Here are some of the best options for treating your allergy symptoms.

In one Italian study of children with pollen allergies, those who rinsed their nasal passages with saline three times a day during allergy season had less congestion, sneezing and itching — and as a result, took fewer antihistamines than those who didn't rinse.

• Don't just spray a little into your nose; gently wash using a clean bulb-type ear syringe, a neti pot (from a health food store) or a waterpik device with a special nasal adapter.

The University of Michigan researcher's own saline rinse recipe:

1. Mix two millilitres (1/2 teaspoon salt), two millilitres (1/2 teaspoon) baking soda and 500 millilitres (two cups) warm tap water.
2. To use, lean over a sink and turn your head so your left nostril faces down.
3. Using a bulb syringe, gently flush your right nostril with 250 millilitres (eight ounces) of saline, letting the water drain out through your left nostril.
4. Then gently blow your nose and repeat with your other nostril.
5. Finally, clean the syringe.

An antihistamine may be all you need if your symptoms are infrequent (less than four days a week or lasting for less than four weeks total) or so mild that they don't interfere with sleep or daytime activities. That's the conclusion of allergy experts from the University of Washington who reviewed 55 allergy studies.

• Antihistamines are second only to prescription steroids in their ability to ease the full range of allergy symptoms.
• Good choices are loratadine and cetirizine HCl. These last longer than older antihistamines like diphenhydramine and are less likely to cause sleepiness.
• The older drugs, including diphenhydramine and brompheniramine (Dimetapp), provide stronger relief from allergy symptoms, based on the few head-to-head comparisons that have been conducted.
• For best results, take an antihistamine before you are exposed to something you're allergic to.

Until recently, the advantage of prescription varieties was the convenience of a pill that lasted 24 hours without sedating side effects, but now over-the-counter pills offer the same benefits.

• Eye drops are the most effective and safest way to relieve the symptoms of an "ocular allergy" — the itching, tearing, light sensitivity, redness, "grittiness" and eyelid swelling that can happen if you're allergic to pollen and/or mold.
• You can buy antihistamine eyedrops over the counter, but you're better off with a prescription version.
• Best of all are prescription drops that combine antihistamines with mast-cell stabilizers. These ease symptoms quickly and need to be used only twice a day, compared to four times a day for drops containing antihistamines alone. They're also a great alternative to corticosteroid eyedrops, which are effective but can have dangerous side effects.

Doctors prescribe steroid eyedrops mostly for chronic and severe eye allergy symptoms or to battle eye infections. Make sure to consult with your doctor before starting any new treatment of allergies.