Allergy shots are, however, time-consuming and costly and entail a slight risk of causing the kind of reaction they are meant to prevent. Because such a reaction can be serious, doctors like to monitor patients for at least 20 minutes after giving the shot. The best course of action in treating hay fever is to get a careful diagnosis and discuss treatment options with an allergist. If prescription drugs or immunotherapy are called for, a physician can recommend the most appropriate course of treatment. The important thing is that virtually every hay fever sufferer can be helped by prevention and treatment.
Noses are remarkable.
They filter the air we breathe, warm it when it's too cold, and moisten it when it's too dry. They alert us when food might be unsafe to eat, and some noses can even smell a rain storm coming. Yet, with the possible exception of Bob Hope, we would all be grateful if noses went about their impressive variety of tasks unnoticed. For hay fever victims, that would be a blessing. Its medical name means inflammation of the membrane lining the nose caused by exposure to an allergen at specific times of the year.