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Ragweed-Allergy Treatment

Ragweeds include a variety of plants that grow throughout North America, but are prevalent in rural areas on the East Coast and Midwestern states of the United States. Of all Americans who are allergic to pollen-producing plants, 75 percent are allergic to ragweeds. While no cure exists for ragweed allergy, there are many ways to prevent attacks during pollination time.

  1. Avoidance

    • Get away from the pollen whenever possible. Find out when the pollen count for ragweed is high and stay indoors. Often the local news and weather channels will give daily pollen counts. Also, www.pollen.com will offer pollen counts for every region of the United States. If you can stay inside and have access to a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter, it can help reduce pollen from indoor air. If you can take a vacation during the worst times of the year for ragweed (late summer to early fall), this may help relieve some symptoms. The mountainous regions of the West Coast have the least amount of ragweed in the country. If your ragweed allergy is too severe, it may be beneficial to move permanently to the West Coast.

    Antihistamines

    • Antihistamine medications can decrease symptoms of hay-fever regardless of the cause. These symptoms include runny nose, stuffy head, sneezing, coughing and itchy, watery eyes. Most antihistamines that are available today do not cause drowsiness as they did in the past. This makes taking them during the day, when you may be working or driving, much easier. Along with pills and syrups, plenty of antihistamine nasal sprays can be used with few side effects. Be sure to follow the directions on the label and do not ingest a larger than recommended dosage.

    Allergy Shots

    • If over-the-counter medicine does not provide enough relief, it may be time to see an allergist or an ear, nose and throat doctor. These professionals can administer immunotherapy (allergy shots) to ease ragweed symptoms. First, they will determine the exact allergens to which you are susceptible and then give you shots to reduce the allergic response to these allergens. The number and frequency of shots needed depends on the severity of ragweed allergies specific to the individual. Sometimes results are seen in a few weeks, or it may take months. Occasionally, certain people can eliminate allergic symptoms after several shots, while others must receive shots for the rest of their lives.

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