Many of you know the symptoms: sneezing, runny nose, allergy cough, itchy eyes. So irritating and so disruptive to your day. The AllergyCorp Group Clinics are here to help determine what is causing your allergies and how best to treat them and even prevent them in the future. However, for quick relief, you may turn to over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medications before you can make it in for an appointment. Our doctors can help determine the cause of your allergic reactions by doing the appropriate allergy tests.
Once you have determined the OTC ingredients that work best for you, you may be able to save money buying the generic version.
Potential causes of post-nasal drip are infection, allergies, or an abnormality in your nasal structures. Antihistamine decongestants are the most common over-the-counter treatment for this symptom. Unfortunately, post-nasal drip is difficult to treat, therefore we recommend making an appointment with one of our physicians at AllergyCorp Group.
If you don’t have any underlying medical conditions (such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis) or any other symptoms (like a fever), a short-lived cough is most likely the result of a cold. We would recommend a cough suppressant (like dextromethorphan) and a decongestant (like pseudoephedrine) to dry any post-nasal drip. If you are experiencing particularly bad post-nasal drip, you can add an over-the-counter antihistamine for further help. However, since antihistamines can make you sleepy, you might consider only using the antihistamine at night. If your cough persists, it may be an allergic cough and you may want to see an AllergyCorp Group physician.
Cough lasting more than two weeks: If your cough lasts for more than two weeks, it is highly recommended that you visit one of our ENT/Allergy specialty clinics. Often, a chronic cough is related to at least one of the three causes listed below, and requires the help of a specialist:
Cost is obviously another factor in deciding what medications to take. Even though prescription medications may be more expensive, many are covered by your prescription plan meaning that the cost to you may be less than an OTC.
Also, you might think that you can save time and money by self-medicating rather than going to the allergy doctor in AllergyCorp Group. However, that time may be lost because of sick days away from work and reduced productivity.
If you have tried over the counter medications and continue to have symptoms, or if you want help deciding which OTC medications to use, the physicians at AllergyCorp Group can help. Our specialists can show you what to use to find relief for your allergy, nasal, sinus, and asthma problems, ENT (ear, nose, and throat) symptoms, skin conditions, and respiratory allergies. We have the newest treatment and testing, and we have convenient allergy and asthma clinics Eastern North Carolina area.
It is important to remember that most over the counter medications were once prescription medications. If the symptoms persist for more than a week, get worse or change, you should contact one of our AllergyCorp Group physicians to be evaluated for allergy and sinus problems. Identifying the underlying causes and focusing treatment on these causes will allow our Top Allergy and Sinus Specialists to come up with a natural and personalized approach to treating your allergy and sinus problems and help make you better, faster and with less side effects. Remember, faster diagnosis means faster relief.
Please stop taking any antihistamines at least 72 hours before your appointment with us, as they will prevent us from accurately determining what allergens affect you.