Living Better with Nasacort

Friday, July 11 2008

How Allergies and Nasal Inflammation Can Make Life Miserable

You may be one of between 40 and 50 million people who have either seasonal allergies or year-round allergic rhinitis. Both of these allergy problems can lead to annoying symptoms, some of which you have probably experienced, such as:

• An uncomfortable, stuffed up nose;
• Sneezing, sometimes repeatedly and violently, which only makes you feel worse;
• Postnasal drip that makes the back of your throat feel like it’s covered with Saran Wrap;
• Itchy eyes that get watery and red because you rub them too much;
• And a runny nose (the technical name is rhinorrhea) that necessitates a constant supply of Kleenex or restaurant napkins.
• Sound familiar? Thankfully, among the myriad of products out there that claim to be able to relieve these symptoms, there is Nasacort AQ nasal spray.

Why Allergies and Nasal Inflammation Attack 
An allergic response can happen when the immune system believes that a relatively harmless substance, such as pollen, is an invading enemy trying to gain access to the body through the nose. The result can be one, or all, of the miserable symptoms listed above. 

If you are allergic to pollen, you probably didn’t have symptoms the first time you were exposed to it, and you may not have experienced an allergic reaction until later in life. Eventually, though, in a process called sensitization, your immune system decided to call out the troops and defend you against the perceived threat, and your symptoms increased little by little. Allergic rhinitis is an inflammatory condition that develops when your immune system has created a defense mechanism meant to destroy invading allergens.

Who Can Have Allergies
Allergies can develop at any time in a person’s life, and while they usually happen during the teens or early 20’s, many people don’t get them until middle age is approaching. The onset of allergies can be quite a shock for anyone who has never had them and who thought they had some clue of what allergies were all about.

Allergies are often hereditary, so your risk is probably higher if one or both of your parents were allergy sufferers. If one of your parents had allergies, your risk is 25%, but if both parents were allergic, that risk increases to 75%. And if you come from a large family, your risk of allergies can be related to your birth order, with younger siblings often experiencing a lower incidence of allergies than their older sisters and/or brothers.

Possible Side Effects of Nasacort
Nasacort AQ nasal spray is usually very user-friendly, and has a low incidence of side effects. Four of the most common side effects of Nasacort include:

• Sore throat
• Nosebleed or blood in the mucous
• Crusting in the nose and around the edges of the nostrils
• Coughing

These side effects may be especially noticeable in the winter, when your home is driest because of a constantly-running furnace. These effects can sometimes be minimized by applying a small amount of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, to the inside of the nostrils.

Nasacort Can Make Life Bearable Again
Learning as much as you can about your allergies, and about ways to avoid allergens and prevent allergy flare-ups, can give you a great advantage when it comes to figuring out how to fight them. Knowledge really is power when it comes to managing any chronic medical condition, and allergies are no exception.

Prescription Nasacort spray can help make it easier to breathe again and easier to go out in public without fear of everyone staring at the red, irritated nose that has been created by constant wiping. Get back into the swing of things without fear by trying Nasacort today.