Seasonal hay fever is an aggravating problem, even if it doesn’t make a person seriously ill. People may feel like they have a bad cold as they go through the day sneezing, wheezing, coughing and rubbing their itchy eyes. Trying to sleep can be very difficult without medication. However, over-the-counter antihistamines commonly used for allergies tend to cause drowsiness that lingers after waking up. Decongestants can make people jittery. Fortunately, an Allergy Doctor in Evansville IN can prescribe medicine that doesn’t cause these side effects. Getting allergy shots is another option for the person who is entirely fed up with hay fever symptoms caused by pollen throughout the warm weather months.
Prescription nasal sprays provided by an Allergy Doctor in Evansville IN are very effective for stopping hay fever symptoms. Patients feel substantial relief as they breathe easily without feeling either sleepy or jumpy. They no longer have to take pills just to function at work or get some rest at night, and they no longer go through entire boxes of tissue in a matter of days. Health insurance generally pays for the prescription as well as the appointments with the allergist, so patients should ask the clinic to bill their insurer.
If an allergy patient and the doctor decide that preventive shots might be advisable, the patient begins a regular regimen at the clinic that builds the tolerance to the allergen. The immune system is vital for fending off harmful substances such as bacteria and viruses, but sometimes it overreacts to a substance that actually is harmless. Tree and weed pollen are examples of foreign agents that many people’s immune system identifies as something to be attacked. Symptoms such as a runny nose and watery eyes are evidence that the body is working to eliminate the allergens.
A physician such as Dr. C. Steven Smith identifies the specific allergens with a skin test and then administers small amounts of those particular substances through injections. Eventually, the person’s body becomes acclimated to having the allergens inside it and no longer reacts as though the pollen is hazardous and something to be battled by the immune system.
