Hay fever or what is medically known as allergic rhinitis is caused by a reaction to pollen. The most common sources of pollen grains dispersed in the air are weeds, grass and trees. Symptoms for hay fever include headache, itching nose, mouth, eyes, throat and skin, runny nose, watery eyes and wheezing. Blood or skin tests could be performed to test for hay fever. One should expect to be tested for different pollen sources, as it is possible that one is allergic to a several kinds of pollen.

While prevention is still better than cure, there are many available medications commonly used to treat hay fever. The purpose of these medications is for the treatment of symptoms. Hay fever medications include:

1. Antihistamines - There are three kinds of antihistamines, the fast-acting, short-acting and long-acting. Antihistamines that are fast acting, like chlorphenamine, are given to treat the symptoms usually after the hay fever episode. Short-acting antihistamines, like loratadine and azelastine, are for the treatment of mild to moderate symptoms. These are over-the-counter drugs that can be bought without prescription. Care should be taken in ingesting these drugs though as they can cause drowsiness. The long-acting antihistamine, like cetirizine or fexofenadine, is a non-drowsy formula that could be as effective as the other type of antihistamines.

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2. Leukotriene receptor antagonists - This medication, which includes montelukast and zafirlukast, is very effective and could not cause drowsiness. Since these are long-acting, patients are instructed by doctors to take it only once a day.
3. Corticosteroid nasal sprays – These are considered safer than oral medication and as effective in relieving hay fever symptoms. Fluticasone, budesonide, mometasone, triaamcinolone and beclomethasone are among the examples of this medication.
4. Topical decongestant – Relieving nasal decongestion, this medication is not recommended to be used for long periods, as it could result in drug-induced nasal congestion.
5. Cromolyn sodium – With nasalcrom and crolom as its most common examples, this drug acts to prevent your mast cells from releasing the histamine, which is causing the hay fever symptoms. Available in nasal spray or eye drop forms, this relieves nasal congestion and conjunctivitis.
6. Allergy shots - People who regularly exposed to a specific allergen and whose symptoms are getting more difficult to manage are recommended to take this treatment. Regular allergen injection at increasing dosages per treatment is administered to the patient forcing the body to adapt to the presence of the allergen. The most expensive therapy, this is usually seen as a last resort, as the risk of causing a second allergy like asthma is also very high.
7. Herbal remedies – Nasal congestion relief could also be reached through the use of herbs such as eyebright, nettle and bayberry while turmeric and feverfew herbs are said to be effective in the reduction of the mucosa’s inflammation.

To prevent experiencing adverse drug reactions to the following drugs, these hay fever medications or treatments should be taken or performed with the close supervision of a doctor.

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