Statistically, seasonal allergies (technically known as allergic rhinitis) affect about one in four Canadians, although many more individuals may be affected; they just don’t seek treatment.
Also known as hay fever, seasonal allergies occur when plant pollen is breathed in and the body’s immune system is activated to fend off the foreign particles or allergens.
Watery, drippy noses, sneezing, itchy watery eyes, and even nasal congestion result. With repeated exposure from year to year, the symptoms become more severe. In fact, many people may believe their hay fever is a new condition when they actually had symptoms previously, but did not notice them.
Read Also
Ground rules for farm family communications
Establishing meeting ground rules can help your family find ways to communicate that work for your farm. Here are some…
Oral antihistamines stop the immune system’s release of the histamine that is responsible for allergy symptoms. Unfortunately, these drugs, even the ones labelled as non-sedating, have sedation as a side effect.
Oral decongestants are marketed to relieve congestion, but with adverse effects and numerous drug interactions, these agents are not ideal for allergic rhinitis.
Nasal sprays, though, are good options as they deliver medication directly to the affected nasal tissues.
Decongestant, saline and steroid nasal sprays are the ones used most often for nasal symptoms. With decongestant nasal sprays, rebound congestion is possible. In other words, you may need more and more of the spray to keep nasal passages open. Saline nasal sprays are ideal to keep nasal passages moisturized, but hay fever symptoms may persist.
Corticosteroid nasal sprays are recommended for persistent allergic rhinitis symptoms especially when nasal obstruction is a factor. These nasal sprays work through the immune system to reduce inflammation and allergy symptoms with their action occurring locally in the nose. At one time corticosteroid nasal sprays were available only with a prescription but today several have non-prescription status.
There are many formulations, but not all have the same instructions; some spray bottles need to be primed, others do not; some need to be shaken, others do not; some only need to be used once daily, others more often.
Reading the instructions before use is important. With all nasal sprays, the nose needs to be blown before use and then not be blown again for at least 15 minutes afterwards. Blowing the nose too soon means the active ingredient is expelled.
In general, steroid nasal sprays are well tolerated. There has been some concern regarding systemic absorption and adverse effects but no association has been found by researchers. Adverse effects include burning, stinging and dryness of the nose along with epistaxis or nose bleeds.
Aiming the spray towards the outer part of the nose, not towards the septum, reduces the risk for these adverse effects. Using the opposite hand for the spray will help, so apply the spray to the left nostril with the right hand and vice versa.
Also, as with all medications, nasal sprays should never be shared with others and also should not be used past their expiry date.
While allergic rhinitis can be bothersome, nasal sprays are ideal for the control of symptoms. Sometimes, it’s possible to identify triggers for the symptoms, including other allergens such as dust or mould which can then be avoided.
And, of course, there are non-drug approaches; paying attention to pollen counts, staying indoors when allergens are numerous, wearing pollen masks, paying attention to the weather specifically remembering that rain “washes” pollen from the air and windy weather blows pollen around.
