Loratadine

With the hay fever season already in full swing, the Royal College of General Practitioners has cautioned against confusing coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms with hay fever. This is a timely warning, since the first peak season of grass pollen is just around the corner (usually in the UK it’s the first half of June) and about 1 out of 4 British adults gets hay fever every year. So, there’s an elevated risk that some people may mistake coronavirus symptoms for hay fever. There indeed are some similarities between the two conditions.  

Loratadine is a type of antihistamine which relieves the symptoms of an allergic reaction. You might know it as Clarityn which is the brand name. It's used to treat the symptoms associated with hay fever, eczema, hives and conjunctivitis. 

The arrival of the summer months brings plenty of fun for many of us; barbecues, trips to the beach and drinks in the park. However, for those of us with hay fever it's a different story. The summer months are when plants release pollen into the air, meaning the outdoors is rife with pollen, triggering red itchy eyes, sneezing and a runny nose for hay fever sufferers. You don't have to let it spoil your summer though. With the right treatment and know how, you can enjoy the season as much as everyone else. 

With so many hay fever treatments available, it can be hard to make a decision about which is best. Doctors use the NICE guidelines to help them make this decision. NICE guidelines are based on research and they tell the doctor what the most suitable treatment would be  based on certain characteristics. We’ve used the NICE guidelines to make something a little more patient friendly: We hope our flow chart will help you choose the right hay fever medication for you, but will also give you an idea about how we make decisions about your health.

You may have heard about a new, injectable treatment for hay fever called Kenalog. There has been something of a scandal surrounding it and consumers need to be aware of the details. Let’s start with what the injection is. Typically, hay fever is treated with a steroidal spray of some sort. For kids, it is usually a nasal spray, while adults can use a more potent oral spray that is easily absorbed by the body. This new injectable treatment is similar, but is as much as 20 times stronger. That is an incredible amount of medication for your body, and with it comes some problems that health professionals have raised concerns about.  

Hay fever can bring with it a large number of symptoms. Not everyone will experience the same ones, and one of the least common symptoms is a rash. Thankfully, you can treat that rash in much the same way you would the other symptoms of hay fever.  

Hay fever can be especially troublesome for children. It often affects them more severely than it would adults and they may have more trouble coping with it. It is often harder for children to ask for help when they are suffering from a medical condition like hay fever. There are some treatments available that you can use at home to help your child recover from hay fever and reduce their symptoms.

One of the rarest hay fever symptoms is a cough, often caused by excess mucus or throat irritation. If you experience a cough alongside hay fever symptoms, it is likely the two are related. So if you think your cough is related to hay fever, then you should be able to treat it at home with over the counter medication.

Hay fever is a condition that can cause a fair amount of discomfort for both adults and children alike. While there are many options available for adults to treat the symptoms, these medications may not be suitable for treating children.  There is no cure for hay fever and all you can really do is treat your child’s symptoms. While this may be frustrating, you still need to exercise caution when treating your child and not exceed the dosage recommended for the age category that the child falls into.

As an antihistamine, Fexofenadine is used to treat allergy symptoms. It is used to treat a variety of allergy symptoms, and while it cannot get rid of the root cause of the problem (the allergen), it does help to control the many symptoms.

Fexofenadine is a potent antihistamine, designed to help you control allergy symptoms. Alcohol is known to intensify the side effects created by antihistamines, so it is best to avoid drinking alcohol when taking Fexofenadine. The common side effects of nausea, diarrhoea, headaches and muscle pain, can become a lot worse if you consume alcohol.  

Fexofenadine - also known as Telfast and Allegra - is a potent antihistamine. This makes it very effective, but also means that the side effects can be severe for some people. In rare cases, it can cause full body aches, continuous coughing and severe allergic reactions or flu symptoms. While these side effects are not common, they are problematic enough that the drug is only available via prescription in the UK. If you are suffering from severe allergy symptoms or hay fever, you may wish to contact our GMC registered doctors through our online consultation service to discuss receiving a prescription for your problem. 

A wide range of anithistamines are available to treat your allergies. Tablets and nasal sprays are some of the most common, but what's the difference between them, and which would be right for you?