If you suffer from any type of allergy, your doctor will tell you what they think will help you with your symptoms and may also give you tips on how to avoid having problems. If you have seasonal allergies, how you manage your symptoms is left mostly up to you. What you take will depend on what time of year you feel the worst, what you are allergic to (if you know), and also how you react to different types of medications. Many with seasonal allergies take over the counter allergy medicines and it may take some experimentation to find the one that works the best for you.

Several years ago, before the most common allergy medications became OTC (over-the-counter) approved, I was prescribed Claratin for my seasonal allergies. I took the Claratin as the doctor directed, but they had little to no affect on my runny nose and watery eyes. On the next doctors visit, the doctor switched me to Zyrtec. A few days later I noticed that my allergy symptoms had cleared up and I realized that Zyrtec was completely effective for me. No more runny nose, no more sneezing fits, just life as it should be, finally. That being said, there are just as many stories from people who say that Claratin worked just as well for them.

The problem with some types of allergy medicines is that they can make you drowsy. However, that is not always the case with everyone taking the same medication. That is when things get confusing. Someone may say that they take something and suggest that you try it, only to find that you do not tolerate the side effects as well as they do. If the allergy medicines they take do not make them drowsy, it does not mean that the same ones will not do that for you. Try something, but make sure you are not doing anything that could be dangerous (like driving) until you see how you react.

Being drowsy from allergy medicines is not the only thing you have to consider. Some medications that work well for one person will not work for others. Some medicines have had to take out certain ingredients to stay as over the counter medications, and when they did this, these medication suddenly lost some potency for some people while others got the same great benefits. Try the over the counter version but remember you may have to get the other version through the pharmacy (but without prescription) to truly find the version that works well for you.

In order to decide if your allergy medicines are working well or not, you have to keep track of your symptoms. For some with seasonal allergies, they have sneezing fits first thing in the morning. An effective medication can help eliminate that problem. You can also get an air filter in your sleeping area to help with this as well. That, in combination with your allergy medicines, can help you wake up clear and sneeze free. If the same medicines stop watering eyes and sneezing throughout the rest of the day, you may have found something you can rely on.

You will not have to take your allergy medicines throughout the entire year if you have seasonal allergies, but you may want to have your medication on hand no matter what. Some have bad spells during spring and summer, and some have a worse time in summer and fall. Those with summer problems can find some problems in the dead of winter as well. It depends on the particular allergies someone has and when those things are at their peek. If you are not sure what you are allergic too, keep your effective allergy medicines on hand all year long and take as needed.