Q&A for How to Treat Allergies

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What helps relieve allergies fast?

Katie Marks-Cogan, MD
Board Certified Pediatric & Adult Allergist
Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan is a board certified Pediatric & Adult Allergist at Clear Allergy based in Los Angeles, California. She is the Chief Allergist for Ready, Set, Food!, an infant dietary supplement designed to reduce the risk of childhood food allergies. She received her M.D. with honors from the University of Maryland. She then completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Northwestern University and fellowship in Allergy/Immunology at the University of Pennsylvania and CHOP.

Katie Marks-Cogan, MD

Board Certified Pediatric & Adult Allergist

Expert Answer

For a mild allergy, taking an antihistamine, like Certirizine, can help to relieve skin-related symptoms like itchiness and hives or nasal symptoms like a runny/itchy nose. Generally speaking, staying away from the allergen is the best way to prevent symptoms. For example, if you're allergic to pollen, stay indoors on dry, windy days and check pollen counts daily on a weather app or website.

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Question

How do you make an allergic reaction go away?

Katie Marks-Cogan, MD
Board Certified Pediatric & Adult Allergist
Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan is a board certified Pediatric & Adult Allergist at Clear Allergy based in Los Angeles, California. She is the Chief Allergist for Ready, Set, Food!, an infant dietary supplement designed to reduce the risk of childhood food allergies. She received her M.D. with honors from the University of Maryland. She then completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Northwestern University and fellowship in Allergy/Immunology at the University of Pennsylvania and CHOP.

Katie Marks-Cogan, MD

Board Certified Pediatric & Adult Allergist

Expert Answer

The best way to resolve symptoms is to get away from the allergen and treat the symptoms. For mild skin reactions an antihistamine is typically a good choice. If your symptoms do not go away or you experience breathing-related symptoms, seek emergency medical treatment right away.

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Question

What should I do if I'm visiting a home with a dog?

Alan O. Khadavi, MD, FACAAI
Board Certified Allergist
Dr. Alan O. Khadavi is a Board Certified Allergist and a Pediatric Allergy Specialist based in Los Angeles, California. He holds a BS in biochemistry from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook and an MD from the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn. Dr. Khadavi completed his pediatric residency at Schneider Children’s Hospital in New York, and then went on to complete his allergy and immunology fellowship and pediatric residency at Long Island College Hospital. He is board certified in adult and pediatric allergy/immunology. Dr. Khadavi is a Diplomate of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology, a Fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), and a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). Dr. Khadavi's honors include Castle Connolly’s list of Top Doctors 2013-2020, and Patient Choice Awards "Most Compassionate Doctor" in 2013 & 2014.

Alan O. Khadavi, MD, FACAAI

Board Certified Allergist

Expert Answer

The most important thing would be to ask the owner not to have the dog in the house when you're there and to do a thorough cleaning before you enter the house. You can also take an antihistamine or use nasal spray for a couple of days leading up to the event to help minimize your symptoms.

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Question

Do air purifiers really work for allergies?

Alan O. Khadavi, MD, FACAAI
Board Certified Allergist
Dr. Alan O. Khadavi is a Board Certified Allergist and a Pediatric Allergy Specialist based in Los Angeles, California. He holds a BS in biochemistry from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook and an MD from the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn. Dr. Khadavi completed his pediatric residency at Schneider Children’s Hospital in New York, and then went on to complete his allergy and immunology fellowship and pediatric residency at Long Island College Hospital. He is board certified in adult and pediatric allergy/immunology. Dr. Khadavi is a Diplomate of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology, a Fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), and a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). Dr. Khadavi's honors include Castle Connolly’s list of Top Doctors 2013-2020, and Patient Choice Awards "Most Compassionate Doctor" in 2013 & 2014.

Alan O. Khadavi, MD, FACAAI

Board Certified Allergist

Expert Answer

Regular air purifiers unfortunately can't filter out all the pollen and dust mites in the air. However, a HEPA filter is quite effective in removing these allergens from your home.

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Question

How can I avoid pollen allergies when I go outside?

Alan O. Khadavi, MD, FACAAI
Board Certified Allergist
Dr. Alan O. Khadavi is a Board Certified Allergist and a Pediatric Allergy Specialist based in Los Angeles, California. He holds a BS in biochemistry from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook and an MD from the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn. Dr. Khadavi completed his pediatric residency at Schneider Children’s Hospital in New York, and then went on to complete his allergy and immunology fellowship and pediatric residency at Long Island College Hospital. He is board certified in adult and pediatric allergy/immunology. Dr. Khadavi is a Diplomate of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology, a Fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), and a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). Dr. Khadavi's honors include Castle Connolly’s list of Top Doctors 2013-2020, and Patient Choice Awards "Most Compassionate Doctor" in 2013 & 2014.

Alan O. Khadavi, MD, FACAAI

Board Certified Allergist

Expert Answer

Try to go outside when pollen counts are low, usually after 10 AM. You can also take an antihistamine or use a nasal steroid spray to help relieve your symptoms.

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Question

So, lately I have a stuffy nose, sore throat, and I sneeze a lot. What do I do?

Chris M. Matsko, MD
Family Medicine Physician
Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.

Chris M. Matsko, MD

Family Medicine Physician

Expert Answer

You may want to take Claritin. It is now available over-the-counter and can be purchased at most pharmacies.

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Question

If I have rashes on my arms, neck and face that are itchy, are they caused by allergies? What should I do to get rid of the rashes?

Chris M. Matsko, MD
Family Medicine Physician
Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.

Chris M. Matsko, MD

Family Medicine Physician

Expert Answer

First try a moisturizing cream such as Eucerin. Make sure that the cream is thick and covers the rash. If this does not work then you are going to want to try corticosteroids. You may want to seek out the attention of a medical profession for steroid treatment. You can only apply steroids to the face for a limited period of time so that you do not experience thinning of your facial skin.

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