morning and evening allergies

[drunk_injun]

after returning from a trip abroad to india, my wife wakes up every morning congested with a runny nose.  she travels frequently to other states, and experiences the same problems there, so it doesn't appear to be an allergen in the house.  this has been happening now for almost 6 months.

she visited an allergy specialist, who in typical fashion, loaded her up with prescriptions for antihistamines (zyrtec, etc).  she'd like to see if there's an alternative to taking these drugs - has anyone else encountered similar symptoms and used alternative treatments?  do hepa filters really work?

[David S. Wilson, MD, FCCP]

An allergist would be best equipped to answer this

[bsmsl]

Hepa filters work wonderfully, however since she has problems traveling she would have to buy a small unit for travel for that to work.  There are lots of other life style opions as well - keeping doors and windows closed, showering and changing clothes when she comes in and before bed, allergy proof cases for mattress, boxsprings and pillows, keeping pets out of the bedroom and eliminating as many dust collectors from the bedroom as possible (blinds, drapery, upholstered furniture, plants...).  Also, keeping the bathroom mold free is very helpful.

I hope you find alternatives for her tha will work with your life style.