About Allergies: Over the Counter Cold and Allergy Medicines

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Allergies Allergies Symptoms / Diagnosis Treatment Coping From Daniel More, MD, your Guide to Allergies Have you been in the cold and allergy section of your local drug store recently? The choices of different products -- and there are literally hundreds of them -- can be very confusing. After all, the name of the product doesn't always give you the best idea of what the medicine actually contains. Unless you're a physician, nurse or pharmacist, you'd probably not really know what you're getting just be looking at the active ingredients. Do you have trouble choosing an OTC cold or allergy medicine? Who do you go to for advice -- your doctor, pharmacist, healthcare professional friend or maybe even your mother? Are you more likely to purchase a product because you've seen an advertisement or because a certain item is on sale? Do you stick with a certain brand name, such as Robitussin, or do you buy the generic version because it's cheaper? Share your answers to these questions and more on this quick survey. Is It a Cold or Allergies? Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell. The symptoms of allergies can be very similar to the symptoms of the common cold, but there are some important differences. Both may cause nasal congestion, runny nose, post nasal drip and sneezing. Itching -- especially of the eyes, nose, and sometimes the ears and throat -- is a common feature of allergies, but is usually not present with a cold. Other symptoms, such as body aches, fever and sore throat, commonly occur with a cold; these symptoms are absent with allergies. See More About:  allergy diagnosis  allergy testing  sinusitis OTC Allergy Medicines There are numerous over-the-counter (OTC) medications available for the treatment of allergy symptoms. Some of these, like oral decongestants such as Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) and sedating antihistamines like Benadryl (diphenhydramine), have been available for many years. Others, such as Claritin (loratadine) and Zyrtec-D (cetirizine/pseudoephedrine), have only recently become available OTC without a prescription. See More About:  allergies  allergist  allergy testing Choosing an Allergy Medicine Based on Your Symptoms For the person with nasal allergy symptoms, the choices of available medicines can be daunting. From pills to nasal sprays, it can be quite difficult to decide which medication is best for your symptoms. While there is no one-size-fits-all allergy medicine, there may be better choices based on the kind of symptoms you're experiencing. See More About:  allergy symptoms  allergy diagnosis  allergy treatment Allergies Ads Seasonal Allergies Pollen Allergies Sinus Allergies Allergy Treatment Allergies Sinus Featured Articles Allergy Shots and Drops (Immunotherapy) Alternative Therapies in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergies Glossary of Terms Information on the Most Common Allergy Medications Allergy Basics Frequently Asked Questions   More from About.com Financial Emergencies An unexpected change in your financial situation can be incredibly stressful. Here's how to cope. More> Retirement Planning Learn the top five things you need to do in order to start building a retirement nest egg. More> This newsletter is written by: Daniel More, MD Allergies Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Allergies newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2012 About.com   Must Reads What are Allergies? Symptoms of Allergies Diagnosis of Allergies Treatment of Allergies Preventing Allergies   Follow me on: Advertisement