This Is What Allergists Do to Keep Their Own Allergies at Bay

Stock up on meds before allergy season begins

There’s no place for procrastination during allergy season. Call your doctor’s office for new prescriptions before you’re stuck with a bad case of the sniffles, sneezing, and itchy, watery eyes. “Be proactive and start a daily antihistamine or nasal steroid before the season begins,” says Mitchell H. Grayson, MD, chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio,(who happens to be allergic to cats, dust mites, tree, grass, and weed pollen).  You can take antihistamines year round, if necessary, but nasal steroids need between a week and 10 days to become fully effective, so be sure to take it well before allergy season rolls around. Try an antihistamine like Allegra, Claritin, or Zyrtec; but steer clear of brands that contain chemicals like diphenhydramine that cause sedation and other side effects like depression. Waiting till the last minute to get your allergy meds isn’t the only thing that may make your allergies worse, your contact lenses do too.