5) Not enough can be said about nasal saline rinses. Whether you use the Neti pot, NeliMed rinse kit or another nasal rinsing kit, irrigating the nose may reduce many allergy symptoms. Some of my patients have found that their need for medications plummeted after doing daily nasal rinses for their seasonal allergies.

6) Allergy eye drops may be helpful where antihistamine pills and nasal sprays fall short. Ocular allergy may be the top concern in some people with seasonal allergy problems. Some prescription brands include Patanol, Pataday, Optivar and Bepreve.

7) Remember, seasonal allergy is rarely less than six to eight weeks in length. I think the most common reasons medicines don’t seem work are:

• Getting a late start (beginning medication after the season has begun)
• Missing doses of medications which should be taken regularly throughout the season
• Not giving enough time for medications to work (NSS may take two to three weeks to reach maximum effect)
• Improper use of nasal sprays (I’ve previously reviewed proper nasal spray technique).
• Not addressing indoor environmental controls throughout the year

If you have already considered many of the above steps but are still suffering you should think about getting allergy tested. Allergy shots may be the answer for future seasons. There is no cure for allergy problems but there is a lot that can be done to control them.