Environmental AllergiesHow can I treat my allergies?
Unless you have other health problems, such as asthma, you may take over-the-counter medicines to treat your symptoms at home. If you have other health problems, talk to your doctor first. Others who also should talk to their doctor before taking medication include: older adults, children, and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
If home treatments do not help or the over-the-counter medicines make you sleepy or cause other side effects, then your doctor can prescribe medication. If your allergies continue to bother you and you cannot avoid the things you are allergic to, you and your doctor can decide if you should get allergy shots (immunotherapy) to help control your symptoms. For allergy shots to work you may need to do skin or lab tests first.
It is NOT a substitute for professional medical advice.
