Prevention

You can help prevent attacks of hay fever by reducing your exposure to the suspected allergens. It helps to:

• Stay indoors as much as possible during months when you know that your hay fever symptoms will flare. Remember that pollen counts tend to be highest before 10 a.m. and after sunset, so schedule any outdoor activities for low-pollen hours. Early afternoon usually is best.

• Keep windows closed, especially bedroom windows. Run an air conditioner on hot days.

• While traveling in your car, you should drive with your external vents closed and air conditioning on. Some newer vehicles can be equipped with a high-efficiency air filtration system.

• Minimize activities with heavy exposure to pollens, such as lawn mowing and leaf blowing.

• When planning your garden, choose flowers that are bright and colorful, because these colors usually signal that the plant is pollinated by insects rather than by wind.

• Take a shower or wash your hair before going to bed at night to remove pollen that accumulated during the day.

• Dry clothes inside, either in a dryer or on a line. Clothing drying on an outside line can gather pollen.

Treatment

Although the best way to treat hay fever is to minimize exposure to the allergens, it is almost impossible to completely avoid airborne allergens such as pollen. There are many medicines, both prescription and nonprescription, to treat hay fever and its symptoms. Over-the-counter decongestant pills, such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, Afrin and other brand names), can be used to relieve nasal congestion. Decongestant nasal sprays can give relief for a few days but they can cause congestion to get worse if they are used for more than three days.

Another nonprescription nasal spray, cromolyn sodium, prevents allergy symptoms by blocking the release of an irritating substance called histamine. Antihistamines are also available in pill form. Some can make you drowsy, but newer antihistamines, such as fexofenadine (Allegra) and loratadine (Claritin), usually are less sedating. You may need to work with your doctor to find the specific antihistamine that best relieves your symptoms with the fewest side effects. Corticosteroid nasal sprays, such as beclomethasone (Beconase, Vancenase), budesonide (Nasonex) and fluticasone (Flonase), are probably the most effective treatment for hay fever and perennial allergic rhinitis. People with seasonal allergies should start the nasal corticosteroid spray a week or two before an expected rise in pollen counts.