Article: After you pet a cat, whether it's one you own or not, take a trip to the sink. Try not to touch other parts of your body before your wash your hands thoroughly. If you rub your eyes, for instance, you're just transferring the allergens up there, causing a waterfall. Wash your hands in warm water and soap, scrubbing for 20 seconds. If you prefer not to take medications, you can use a saltwater rinse. You can either use a prepared nasal spray with a saline solution, or you can use something like a neti pot to flush your sinuses with saltwater. It can help rinse out the allergens. If you have allergies, you probably already know the drill. Taking a daily non-drowsy antihistamine can help reduce your symptoms. You can try cetirizine (Zyrtec), loratadine (Claritin), or fexofenadine (Allegra), to name a few. These drugs are available over the counter. If your allergies are particularly bad, your doctor may recommend a prescription antihistamine. On your worst allergy days, you can throw in a decongestant to the mix. Some common decongestants are pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and phenylephrine (Contac-D). You can usually take these several times a day, such as every four hours, depending on the drug. These drugs are available over the counter. Steroids might sound scary, but nasal sprays with corticosteroids are generally mild. They help reduce inflammation, meaning your symptoms won't be as bad. Some examples are ciclesonide (Omnaris), mometasone furoate (Nasonex), and triamcinolone (Nasacort Allergy 24-Hour). Read the directions for how often you can use the drug, as it varies. Most of these treatments are available over the counter. However, like any drug, you should talk to your doctor before taking one of these treatments. If your allergies are particularly severe, you may develop asthma symptoms, which means you may start wheezing and have difficulty breathing. Treatments include inhalers and injected medications. These medications are only available by prescription, so you'll need to swing by your doctor's office. Allergy shots are regular injections of small doses of allergens to help desensitize you to your allergies. They can be expensive, though, and are usually only used if other options don't work.

What is a summary?
Wash your hands. Use a saltwater rinse. Take antihistamines. Add a decongestant. Try corticosteroids. Ask about asthma medications. Consider allergy shots.