Roughly one person in four has some kind of allergy. The most common is "allergic rhinitis," which includes seasonal hay fever and year-round allergies to dust, pollen, animal dander, mold and some foods.Like o
ther allergy symptoms, hay fever's leaky eyes, runny nose, sneezing and burning palate mean your immune system is overreacting to an otherwise harmless substance you've inhaled, swallowed or touched.Antihistamines are the medications most commonly taken for hay fever. As the name implies, they block histamines, the substances your body releases that cause hay fever and animal allergies. Older antihistamines are more likely than newer prescription medications to cause drowsiness. Few of the less-sedating medications, loratidine, citrizine, is available without a prescription.
