How soon do allergy symptoms show?

I don't understand how allergy medicines work?

• you know how on every allergy medication box it says it "temporarily" relieves allergy symptoms? would you have to take the allergy medications for the rest of your life ...show more

• Answer:

  Allergy medications are essentially histamine blockers of some type. When we have allergy's.. it just means our bodies produce an allergic reaction to a certain 'thing'. This reaction is often a release of histamine into the blood stream that is beyond normal limits. This histamine causes the typical allergy symptoms. When you take an allergy medication it releases chemicals that essentially 'block' this extra histamine from binding, and relieves your symptoms (temporarily). The temporary part, is just as with any medication, it only is active in your body (bloodstream) for so long until our body naturally flushes it out. Then if the allergen is still present, your body will start with the histamine again. Rinse, Repeat. Generally people take the allergy medication during times of the year when the allergen that bothers them is particularly potent.. (IE: Spring, etc). Some people that are allergic to things that can bother them year round, do, in fact, have to take the medication daily , basically year round. It all depends on the severity of your allergy and the environment you live in. Hope that helps a bit,