Dr. Arfa Faiz, allergist at the University of Kentucky, said the first step is identifying whether the symptoms are driven by allergies or another culprit. She explained allergy testing can also help to identify specific triggers, and if over the counter medications are ineffective, allergy shots can relieve symptoms.
"About 55% of people who present with these symptoms will be allergic on our testing, the other 45% have something called nonallergic rhinitis or inflammation," Faiz outlined. "Once we identify it, then we try medications."
More than 100 million people in the U.S. live with various types of allergies every year.
Dr. Gregory Carnevale, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare, said one of the best ways to prevent allergies is modifying time outdoors.
"If you know what you're allergic to, you can avoid the times when the allergy counts are the highest; you can stay inside," Carnevale suggested. "You can wear a mask if you have exposure."
Faiz added that young children, especially, should see a doctor if symptoms such as congestion and sneezing persist, and noted that eczema and asthma conditions make kids more likely to develop allergies.
"Oftentimes, parents will misdiagnose their kids and say, 'Hey, he just gets sick all the time,' or, 'My daughter's sick all the time,'" Faiz reported. "It's really hard to differentiate, like getting sick all the time versus an allergy, because they look so similar."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nationwide, nearly one in four adults and one in five children report having a seasonal allergy.
