Amy Brightfield: When people are thinking about how they are going to treat their allergies, it can be really confusing because there are billions of products on the shelves of the drugstores. So, it's no wonder. But what can really help is if you know, which symptoms bother even most and also what the active ingredients in the products are because different ingredients work on different things.
Clifford Bassett: When patients take over-the-counter medications, they need to be aware some of the advantages and disadvantages. So, it's important to read the label, and speak with your healthcare provider particularly if you have other medical conditions.
Several medications particularly antihistamines have gone over-the-counter in the last year or so. Some examples of over-the-counter allergy antihistamines include Claritin and Claritin products for children or with or without a decongestant as well as Zyrtec, which is now available over-the-counter. It's important, again, to read the label and find out which is the right medication for you.
Amy Brightfield: If you tried over-the-counter products for a certain amount of time, probably three weeks to a month and they aren't helping you, then you should see an allergist specifically who will test you to see, what things you are allergic to.
Clifford Bassett: Medications over-the-counter can be great for people with mild symptoms but many of my patients here in the office have more severe or protracted symptoms of allergies and that's why it's great to get them to see healthcare provider or an allergist to get allergy test and find out who they have allergies, so they know the next step in taking medications or what to do about it.
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