Treatment for allergic rhinitis depends on your symptoms and how they affect your life.
If you have mild allergic rhinitis, you can often treat the symptoms yourself. Contact your GP or pharmacist if these treatments do not work or your symptoms affect your quality of life.
Self-help
You can treat the symptoms of mild allergic rhinitis with medicines you can get without a prescription. These include long-acting, non-drowsy antihistamines or steroid nasal sprays. Ask your pharmacist for advice.
If possible, try to reduce exposure to the allergen that triggers your symptoms.
Cleaning your nasal passages
Cleaning your nasal passages often with a salt water solution can help. This is called nasal douching or irrigation. It helps keep your nose free of irritants.
You can buy sprays or sachets for rinsing your nose at a pharmacy without a prescription.
Small syringes or pots that often look like small horns or teapots are also available. They help flush the solution around the inside of your nose.
How to rinse your nose:
- Follow the instructions on the sachet to make a salt water solution.
- Standing over a sink, cup the palm of 1 hand and pour a small amount of the solution into it.
- Sniff the solution into 1 nostril at a time.
- Repeat this until your nose feels comfortable. You may not need to use all the solution.
Some solution may pass into your throat through the back of your nose. Try to spit out as much of the solution as possible. But it is harmless if you swallow it.
Rinse your nose as often as you need to. Make a fresh solution each time.
Medicines
Medicines cannot cure your allergy, but they can treat the common symptoms.
If seasonal allergens cause your symptoms, you can stop taking the medicine when the season is over.
Visit your GP or pharmacist if the medicine does not improve your symptoms after 2 weeks.
Your pharmacist can help treat allergic rhinitis through the Common Conditions Service. There is a fee for this service.
Antihistamines
Antihistamines relieve symptoms of allergic rhinitis. They block the action of a chemical called histamine. Your body releases histamine in response to an allergen if your immune system is oversensitive.
You can buy antihistamine tablets without a prescription from your pharmacist.
Antihistamine nasal sprays are only available with a prescription. You can get this through your GP or pharmacist.
Antihistamines can make you feel drowsy. If you're taking an antihistamine for the first time, see how it makes you feel before driving, cycling or using heavy machinery or tools.
If you feel sleepy or dizzy, do not drive, ride a bike or operate machinery until you feel OK again.
It's best not to drink alcohol while you're taking antihistamines, as it can make you feel sleepy.
Steroids
You can have symptoms of allergic rhinitis that affect your nose, such as a runny, blocked or itchy nose.
Steroid nasal sprays or drops can help with these symptoms.
Ask your pharmacist or GP for advice.
Some steroid nasal sprays are available without a prescription. Others are only available on prescription. Your GP or pharmacist can prescribe these.
Your GP may prescribe steroid nasal drops, if needed.
Steroids help reduce inflammation and swelling. They take longer to work than antihistamines, but their effects last longer.
Common side effects of steroid nasal sprays include a dry or sore nose or throat, sneezing or nosebleeds.
You can avoid side effects if you follow the instructions on how to use the nasal spray carefully.
If you have questions on how to use it, ask your pharmacist or GP for advice.
If your symptoms are very severe and you need rapid relief, your GP may prescribe a course of steroid tablets for 5 to 10 days.
Add-on treatments
If allergic rhinitis does not improve with treatment, your GP or pharmacist may change or add to your treatment plan.
They may recommend:
- increasing the dose of your steroid nasal spray
- a short course of a decongestant nasal spray
- combining antihistamine tablets with steroid nasal sprays, and sometimes decongestants
Your GP may prescribe:
- a nasal spray that contains a medicine called ipratropium to reduce nasal discharge and make breathing easier
- a leukotriene receptor antagonist such as montelukast - a medicine that blocks the effects of chemicals called leukotrienes that release during an allergic reaction
If add-on treatments do not work, your GP may refer you to a specialist for assessment and treatment.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is another type of treatment used for some allergies. It's also called hyposensitisation or desensitisation.
It's only suitable for people with certain types of allergies, such as hay fever. Your doctor will only consider this treatment if your symptoms are severe.
Immunotherapy involves introducing more and more of the allergen into your body over time. This makes your immune system less sensitive to it.
The allergen is often injected under the skin of your upper arm. You have the injections at weekly intervals. The dose increases a small amount each time.
Immunotherapy can also use tablets that contain an allergen, such as grass pollen. You place the tablets under your tongue.
The dose increases until it reduces your allergic reaction (the maintenance dose). You have the injections or tablets for up to 3 years.
There's a risk of a serious allergic reaction. You should only have immunotherapy under the supervision of a specialist doctor.
Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE
