Treatment and Prevention Treating and preventing hay fever are
often the same thing - the best way to cure the symptoms is to
avoid the allergen. This may mean changing your habits, or even
giving away a pet or moving to another house if the symptoms are
unbearable and don't respond to drugs. If the allergen is
something you can't completely avoid, like dust mites, here are
some steps you can take to make your home a haven: - Remove
furniture that collects dust, for example carpets, draperies,
and stuffed chairs. - Put plastic covers on mattresses. - Wash
floors frequently with a wet mop. - Reduce air humidity with a
dehumidifier. - Install a high-efficiency air filter, called a
HEPA filter. If these measures prove insufficient, most people
fortunately do respond to drugs. The therapy of choice is
antihistamines taken orally or as a spray. If your antihistamine
makes you drowsy, there's usually another one that won't. For
really bad seasonal allergy attacks, you may be given a
corticosteroid spray if antihist