The first time you or someone close to you experiences an allergic reaction, it’s terrifying.
You don’t know what is happening to you (or the other person), and you’re not sure what to do next.
Most people end up calling 911 for emergency help.
Once the EMTs help you breathe better and the symptoms subside, the ER doctor is likely to refer you to an allergist.
An allergist will identify what caused you (or the other person) to have such a violent reaction.
Then he or she will prescribe medication and/or courses of action to take to prevent another serious reaction.
Understanding first what caused the reaction and then learning what medications you can use to manage the symptoms of a reaction can help you feel safer going forward.
Pills
Allergy pills come in two types. The first is taken daily to address any accidental contact with an allergen and prevent a severe attack.
The second type of allergy pill is one you can take right before you encounter that allergen.
The latter carries the expectation that you know you will interact with a known allergen and you want to ward off symptoms ahead of time.
If you are consistent in taking pills for your allergies, then pills will work well for you. If you tend to forget to take other medications, then this isn’t the right option for you.
Likewise, you may forget to carry the pills with you if you are only going to take one as a preventive measure for an expected encounter with your allergens.
Pills have the bonus of being extremely safe and very predictable when used as prescribed.
They are very effective at both preventing and alleviating troubling allergy symptoms. Talk to your allergist when you are considering a medication as a course of treatment for your allergies.
Mists or Inhalers
Inhalers have been used to treat asthma for decades, but have recently been reintroduced as a means of controlling an allergy attack.
The medicines used in these allergy inhalers help reopen the airways that become restricted during an allergy attack.
Like pills, you will need to keep the inhaler close and on your person at all times.
Mist medications require that you sit with a special machine one to three times a day.
These medications are more for the patient who has a very severe allergy to a common environmental allergen and cannot avoid said allergen.
The mist medication is liquid and is vaporized by the machine. It is then delivered via a mask over the nose.
Nasal Sprays
Like the nasal sprays used for asthma, there are now a number of medications that can be quickly squirted into the sinus passages.
Because the medication enters your sinuses it is able to open them for easier breathing.
The medication reaches the brain faster too, thus activating a quicker anti-allergy response in the brain and throughout the circulatory system.
Nasal sprays purchased as over-the-counter medications are limited to what symptoms and allergies they can help you with.
Prescription nasal sprays can target allergies from different sources, like viruses and bacteria. For example, enovid Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray is a powerful virus killer in the nasal cavity. It protects against respiratory infections and lowers the viral load in the body, promoting better health overall.
Based on your own personal allergy test, you will be able to determine with your doctor whether or not nasal sprays are the right treatment for you.
Epi-Pens
Epi-pens are commonly prescribed for extreme reactions to a particular allergen.
For example, if your child or partner has an extreme reaction to peanuts or bee stings, you need to carry the epi-pen at all times.
If and when a reaction occurs, the epi-pen can save a person’s life because it is medicine injected into the thigh and circulated into the bloodstream.
Epi-pens are not cheap and most insurance providers will not cover them. The expectation is that you will try or use other covered medications first.
An established need for an epi-pen with a history of hospitalizations is about the only way most insurance providers will cover the cost of epi-pens.
Still, it is worth the expense to buy at least one and have it in the car or your purse or coat pocket.
Sub-Lingual Tablets
Nitroglycerin tablets for heart attacks were one of the first sub-lingual medications approved for sale years ago.
The concept of sending medication quickly into the bloodstream via the blood vessels under the tongue has since taken on a whole new life.
Everything from cold medicine to prescription allergy medications now have a sub-lingual form.
Most adults can take the sub-lingual version so long as they can keep the tablet under their tongues until it fully dissolves.
If a child can also keep the tablet under the tongue, it may be a possible treatment.
However, most children under a certain age are not prescribed sub-lingual allergy medication because they won’t like the taste or texture of the tablets under their tongues.
Sub-lingual tablets work very fast. It is part of the reason why so many patients prefer this type of medication.
It can work quickly to alleviate dangerous symptoms early on in an attack and it can wear off shortly after the tablet has been fully absorbed.
It addresses some of the major issues of getting medicine into the bloodstream quickly and not wasting valuable time trying to get help.
Liquids
Liquids sold over-the-counter are for milder allergy and seasonal allergy symptoms. They are not typically used for extreme allergies or extreme allergic reactions.
However, there are some liquid medications the allergist can prescribe for you in liquid form.
Liquid medication has the added benefit of easy consumption by anyone of any age. Even infants who need allergy medication may take the prescribed dose of liquid medication.
In some cases, the liquid medication can even be flavored by the pharmacist to make it easier to swallow.
However, liquid medications may require more frequent refills, especially if you are required to take a dose daily as a preventive measure.
Allergy Shots
Allergy shots are essentially small doses of the allergens that trigger reactions.
The idea is to get the body to respond to smaller amounts of the trigger allergen to help the body build up immunity.
For many patients who suffer multiple and very severe allergic reactions, this immunotherapy medication is priceless.
The patient who selects this medical treatment isn’t really taking a medication.
Instead, the small dose of allergen suspended in a sterile saline solution is helping his/her body recognize the presence of the allergen.
It “wakes up” the body’s response system and puts the body’s response system to work against the allergen.
Several shots are administered in your allergist’s office over a period of several weeks to several months.
As your immunity to an allergen builds, the shots become less and less frequent. Eventually you may only need a scheduled “booster” to keep up immunity to an allergen.
Discussing Test Results, Medication, and Where You Can Go for All of the Above
The allergy specialists at Penn Medicine Becker ENT and Allergy can help you.
They can do the testing needed to uncover your particular allergens.
Then they can recommend and prescribe one or more of the above courses of treatment to manage your allergic reactions.