Montelukast (Singular) can be used alone or in combination with other medications to treat allergic rhinitis. It is a leukotriene receptor antagonist, which decreases the allergic response in a different way than either antihistamines or corticosteroids. It is taken by mouth once a day. It is as effective as antihistamines in controlling symptoms of allergic rhinitis. But montelukast is not as effective as corticosteroid nasal sprays.

If steroid sprays and antihistamines fail, or if you have perennial symptoms, your doctor may recommend trying allergy shots (immunotherapy), a treatment aimed at desensitizing your body's immune reaction to a particular allergen. In immunotherapy, increasing concentrations of the allergen are injected under your skin either weekly or biweekly. If immunotherapy is effective, allergy symptoms usually subside within six months to a year. Treatment often is continued for three to five years.