Animal Dander
While cats are the most common culprits, dogs, birds, rabbits and rodents can all cause allergic rhinitis. The only totally effective way to eliminate symptoms is to remove the pet or pest from the home or consider confining the pet to a room with a HEPA or electrostatic air purifier. Keep the pets as far from your bedroom as possible, and keep the door to your bedroom closed. Bathing pets weekly may help.

Cockroaches
Look for roaches in all living areas of your home, not just in kitchen and dining areas. Pesticides work, but the problem will reoccur unless food and garbage are packaged appropriately and removed from your home often. Boric acid traps and hydromethanon are effective, but should be used with extreme caution around young children. Do not store newspapers, paper bags or cardboard boxes.

Other Avoidance Measures
Talk to your doctor about receiving an annual flu shot. Avoid contact with people who are ill, wash hands frequently, and refrain from sharing food, drink, etc.

Drug Therapy
If avoidance is impossible or doesn't completely eliminate your symptoms, it may be time to think about a medication. Your physician is not likely to prescribe an antibiotic because the cause of your symptoms is not an infection; it is a reaction in your body to something in your environment.

Antihistamines Versus Decongestants
Many products are available at the drug store for the symptoms of a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, itching and watery eyes. Most of them contain an antihistamine, a decongestant, or both. Antihistamines should help the symptoms of itching, sneezing, and a runny nose, but generally won't help a stuffy nose or congestion. They also may cause drowsiness, so do not plan to drive a car or operate heavy machinery. Also, do not drink alcohol. Newer antihistamine products, including Allegra, Claritin, Clarinex and Zyrtec are just as effective as older agents and cause little or no sedation. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to see if one of these is right for you.

If your primary symptoms are a stuffy nose and congestion, then choose a product containing a decongestant, such as pseudoephedrine. Unlike antihistamines, these products may make you jittery, so you may not want to take them right before bed. If you have hypertension, heart disease, an arrhythmia, glaucoma, or prostatic hypertrophy, check with your doctor before taking a decongestant. If you suffer from all of the above-mentioned symptoms, then look for a product that contains both an antihistamine and a decongestant.

Some decongestants are available as nasal sprays. Do not use these agents for longer than the label suggests. They can actually make your rhinitis worse.

Inhaled Corticosteroids
Steroid nasal sprays are becoming quite common in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and are highly effective at relieving all the symptoms of the condition. These agents are not the steroids that weightlifters take to build muscle, and they do not have any of the terrible side effects you hear about. These agents are highly safe and usually do not cause side effects other than nasal irritation. Inhaled corticosteroids are proven to work better than antihistamines for treating your symptoms.

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If you have any problems with or questions about your medication or any aspect of allergic rhinitis, be certain to ask your doctor.