Smart Choices
by Tom Miller, RPh, Topeka Pharmacy
Spring Is In The Air ... Achoo!
Spring brings a sigh of relief for
most of us that winter is on its way
out. For allergy sufferers, spring also
sends out tiny grains of pollen into
the air from trees, grasses and weeds
which travel for miles and cause
symptoms of itchy, runny nose, itchy,
watery eyes, sneezing, coughing and
dark circles under the eyes. We will answer three of the most common allergy
related questions in this column.
• Wash bedding at least once weekly
and dry in a dryer to kill dust
mites.
Which over-the-counter medications
are best?
• An antihistamine is your first line
of defense as it fights the source
of the problems. The newer antihistamines like Claritin, Allegra,
or Zyrtec are all non-drowsy and
long-acting. The older antihistaWhat are allergies?
mines like Benadryl and ChlorTrimeton cause drowsiness and you
When pollen grains enter the nose
need to take them every 4 hours.
of someone who is allergic, the body
Antihistamines may take care of
mistakenly senses the pollen as an “enall of your symptoms and allow
emy” of the body and starts to fight off
you to live more freely again.
the “attack” by producing antibodies.
• For itchy, watery eye relief, use antiThis leads to the release of chemicals
histamine eye drops, not deconcalled histamines. It is the histamines
gestant eye drops (which relieve
which cause the symptoms described
redness) After two or three days,
above. The pollen count is higher on
decongestant eye drops will stop
dry, windy days when pollen is spread
being as effective, but antihistafaster and farther, and lower on rainy
mine drops should continue workdays when more pollen is washed away.
ing to relieve symptoms.
How can I avoid pollen?
• For nasal congestion, use nasal decon• Try to stay indoors when the pollen
gestants sparingly. If you need to
count is higher, such as before 10
use a decongestant more than 3
am and on dry, windy days.
days in a row, you may find that it
• Keep your doors and windows closed
stops being effective. Try a nasal
whenever possible during the
saline spray to relieve congestion,
spring months.
and try nasal strips at night to help
• Don’t hang clothes outdoors to dry, as
you breathe better.
they will collect pollen.
• For a scratchy throat, try drinking
• Dust often with a damp or treated
more fluids or take Mucinex to liqduster.
uefy the mucus that may be irritat• Change your clothes and wash your
ing your throat. Try gargling with
hair after being outside.
hot salt water to help decrease any
•
Vacuum twice a week
swelling or try benzocaine cough
with a HEPA filter.
drops to relieve pain.
Living with allergies is no fun
but with some precautionary lifestyle
Sponsored by
changes and help from a local pharmacy, you should be able to make it
through the season with a minimal
amount of discomfort.
260-593-2252 • 101 N Main. St. • Topeka, IN
The Hometown Treasure · May ‘13 · pg 23