March 16, 2011

Your eyes itch, your nose is constantly running and you're sneezing; it's that time of year again. It's allergy season.

“Allergy seasons can actually last from February or March all the way until October. This is all seasonal allergies like tree pollen and mold,” said Dr. Arvind Madaan, an allergist and immunologist.

Many people are stocking up on over-the-counter medicine for relief, but Dr. Madaan says the pills you're buying are just a temporary fix.

“A lot of people tend to spend a lot of money on over-the-counter medications that really do not provide you with significant relief. It's only temporary, you take it, you have to wake up the next morning and take it again. You can have allergic symptoms for a fairly long length of time, however if you have tried over-the-counter medications or prescriptions and you appear to still be symptomatic, then yes, we can do other things for you,” he explained.

Immunotherapy, a medical treatment categorized by inducing, enhancing or suppressing an immune response, is a much better option for sustained allergy symptom relief when taken in appropriate doses.

“If you identify your trigger then we can make a plan to avoid them effectively. We can also provide allergy therapy and allergy shots,” explained Dr. Madaan.

So before you run away from enjoying a sunny spring day, remember there are alternative way to mask your allergies so you can breath a sigh of relief.