Conventional, complementary, and alternative options for seasonal allergies

Conventional and alternative medicine advice abounds in the area of seasonal allergies. The number and cost of choices can be daunting to any health care professional or patient. A quick overview is needed for consumers to review simplistic lifestyle changes and non-prescription options for this year's allergy season. For example, increasing laundry water temperature and using dehumidifiers are evidenced in the literature, while using air purifiers or filters has minimal to no research. Non-prescription generic antihistamines and prescription steroid nasal sprays are perhaps under-utilized and should receive more attention. Several dietary supplements, such as butterbur and vitamin C, have some preliminary evidence, whereas most other products lack clinical evidence.