Antihistamines Decongestants Anticholinergics Nasal steroids are probably the most effective medications to treat allergic rhinitis. They work by decreasing the cells that trigger and maintain the allergic response. They take more than one day to start to become effective so don't become discouraged if they don't work immediately. In contrast to oral steroids they do not have any systemic side effects if taken at the usual dose. They can be used intermittently or chronically without problems.
Nasal steroids come in the following preparations.
All of the preparations are effective. A patient must find a preparation that they tolerate and they should stick with that. We tend to use nasal steroids as first or second line drugs in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Antihistamines are the other major class of oral medications used to treat allergic rhinitis. Antihistamines work by blocking the action of histamine at histamine receptors.