May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.  Over 35 million Americans suffer fromseasonal allergies.  Although allergiescan cause many bothersome symptoms including runny or stuffy nose, itchy eyes and throat irritation, we are lucky that we have several medications that canbe used to treat and prevent these symptoms. Therefore, people with allergies should not feel that they are limitedin the outdoor activities that they can do. They should not feel that come the spring time that they should spendtime indoors. 

One of the best ways to try to prevent allergy symptoms whensomeone has outdoor allergies is to start taking medication prior to when theplants bloom.  Currently, there areseveral over the counter medications.  Inthe past, many of them, such as Benadryl or Chlorpheniramine, made most peopletired.  Today, over the countermedications such as Claritin and, more recently, Zyrtec are effective withoutcausing that drowsy, sluggish feeling.  Some people may get tired from the Zyrtec, butnot as tired as they might with Benadryl.