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  3. Treatment Overview

Seasonal Allergies Treatment Overview

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Care Plan

1

First steps to consider

  • Mild to moderate seasonal allergies can often be treated at home.
  • Can be treated with OTC antihistamines and decongestants and avoiding allergens.
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2

When you may need a provider

  • Symptoms have not improved with OTC medications
  • Moderate to severe symptoms that affect your daily life for more than 4 days a week and more than 4 weeks in a year.
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The suppliers listed follow Buoy’s clinical guidelines, but listing the suppliers does not constitute a referral or recommendation by Buoy. When you click on the link and/or engage with these services Buoy will be compensated.

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When to see a healthcare provider

You should consider seeing a healthcare provider if your seasonal allergies symptoms, like runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and itchy eyes, are hard to control with OTC allergy medications.

Untreated allergies can interfere with your daily life, including work, school, and socializing.

Getting diagnosed for seasonal allergies

Your primary care physician can order a blood test that checks for different allergens. Or you can see an allergist, who will do a skin patch test. A skin patch test is when they expose your skin to tiny amounts of an allergen and check for a reaction, like hives or a rash.

It can help to know which pollen you are allergic to, so you can do your best to avoid it. You also may learn that you are allergic to other things.

What to expect from your doctor visit

A healthcare provider can help diagnose you and may recommend allergy testing to identify your triggers.

Oral corticosteroids are sometimes given for short courses (3–10 days) to stop inflammation caused by allergies.

If OTC antihistamines make you too drowsy or your symptoms are still severe on most days, you may need a prescription nasal spray or your allergist may recommend allergy shots or immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy is a treatment that trains your body to stop reacting to an allergen by exposing you to very small amounts of the allergen. Over a period of months to years, you are given increasingly higher doses of the allergen. Eventually, you are switched to a maintenance dose. Types of immunotherapy include allergy shots, sublingual (under your tongue), and some biological medications.

Types of seasonal allergy providers

  • A primary care provider can treat mild to moderate symptoms. They can also order allergy blood tests.
  • An allergist can help diagnose your allergies and may be able to tell you about other treatment options.
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