Allergic Rhinitis - Home Treatment

SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS

Allergic rhinitis is a long-term problem. It takes time and effort to control allergies through home treatment.

Avoid allergens

By avoiding or reducing your contact with allergens, you may be able to reduce your allergy symptoms and manage them without medicine or with fewer medicines. Controlling your contact with allergens and reducing your symptoms may also make it less likely you will develop complications such as sinusitis. You do this by:

Controlling dust and dust mites, which includesdusting regularly and washing bed linens in hot water.
Controlling animal dander and other pet allergens,which includes restricting pets to certain areas of your home.
Controlling indoor molds, which includes cleaningbathtubs and showers monthly.
Avoiding outdoor pollens, which includes staying inside whilepollen counts are high.

For more information, see:

Allergies: Avoiding Indoor Triggers.

Allergies: Avoiding Outdoor Triggers.

Manage symptoms

If avoiding allergens does not relieve your symptoms or is not possible, you:

May try takingover-the-counter allergy medicines such aschlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton, for example), diphenhydramine (Benadryl, forexample), or loratadine (Claritin, for example) to relieve symptoms. Don't giveantihistamines to your child unless you've checkedwith the doctor first.
Treat a stuffy nose by usingdecongestants orcleaning your nasal passages with saline solution(salt water). Before you give a decongestant to a child, check the label. These medicines may not be safe for young children or for people who have certain health problems.
May be able to prevent ormanage mild sinus infections by keeping the air inyour home moist and drinking plenty of liquids.

It is helpful to track your symptoms and how they affect you, such as when they keep you from sleeping, make it difficult to concentrate, or make you sleepy. Also track your allergens and how long after exposure to them you develop symptoms. This information will help your doctor prevent and treat the problem. You can keep a symptom diary (What is a PDF document?) to track this information.

Medications

By:	Healthwise Staff	Last Revised: August 4, 2010
Medical Review:	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Harold S. Nelson, MD - Allergy and Immunology

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Allergic Rhinitis - Home Treatment

SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS

Avoid allergens

Manage symptoms