7 Essential Tips for Managing Allergies and Asthma — My Medicine Cabinet
Key takeaways:
It took years for Comenthia Williams-Owens to be diagnosed as allergic to dust, mold, and dander.
Comenthia also has asthma, acid reflux, and a thyroid condition.
She keeps a journal detailing her symptoms. And she stocks her medicine cabinet with the below list of essentials.
Our Medicine Cabinet series explores what real people keep on hand and consider essential for their particular needs — even if a doctor didn’t prescribe it.
Comenthia Williams-Owens was surprised one day in 2015 when her face suddenly felt warm and itchy. Then, small red bumps blossomed across her forehead and on her cheeks. She was having some type of allergic reaction. But to what?
“Growing up, I was not a child who was sick. I had chickenpox and the flu,” says Comenthia, 49, who was living in Georgia when her symptoms emerged. “Other than that, I didn’t have asthma, sinus problems, hay fever, allergies, any of it.”
The symptoms faded over the course of a week. Still, Comenthia didn’t know what had caused them in the first place. By the time she went to the doctor, her symptoms were already going away. The medical team didn’t pinpoint the cause, but they told her not to be too concerned.
“This was the first sign that something was going on," says Clementhia, a human resources consultant in Pelham, Alabama. “I was never able to pinpoint what triggered it, whether it was related to something I did, touched, or ate.”
The outbreaks happened multiple times in the years that followed. Still, Comenthia's allergy tests came back negative. After she moved from Georgia to Alabama in 2018, one doctor theorized that her skin was reacting to chemicals produced from local factories.
“Nothing declared that I had an allergy,” she says. “It was very confusing. But I relied on what I was told because I didn’t know what to do. [The symptom onset] wasn’t happening all the time, so I just lived with it.”
Seasonal allergies, asthma — and more
Finally, in 2019, another series of allergy tests showed that Comenthia was having adverse reactions to mold, weeds, and dander. That conclusion, partnered with an earlier asthma diagnosis, prompted doctors to recommend a course of prescription and over-the-counter medications.
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But Comenthia balked at the medication regimen. She was already taking levothyroxine daily to replace a thyroid hormone that her body was not making enough of. (She’d had a thyroidectomy in 2013 after a hyperthyroidism diagnosis.) She also has GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), which can make asthma worse. She balked at the idea of putting so many medications so often into her body.
Finding the right essentials, including exercise
That’s when she decided to take ownership of her treatment and health. She rejected a prescription nasal spray because she didn’t like the taste. She began journaling and taking note of what products or situations helped or harmed her. For example, after limiting her dairy intake for a month, she found that she felt better when dairy wasn’t part of her diet.
“It made a difference in my breathing. I didn’t have to use my rescue inhaler as much. My post-nasal drip and acid reflux were reduced dramatically,” she says. “I haven’t totally eliminated dairy because I love cheese, but I’m open to trying vegan cheese.”
Comenthia also noticed the positive difference that daily movement made. It was something doctors had recommended years before, but she’d dismissed it.
“Exercise is key,” she says. “My lungs are more open. I’m more alert. I have more energy going up and down the stairs. I believe that’s all changed because of exercise.”
What’s in Comenthia’s medicine cabinet?
She considers these products her seven essentials for managing her allergies, asthma, and acid reflux:
1. Zyrtec Liquid Gels
Comenthia takes this over-the-counter Zyrtec allergy medicine every day. It’s an antihistamine that can relieve allergy symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, and itchy or watery eyes.
2. Nasacort Nasal Spray
Comenthia dispenses two sprays of Nasacort in each nostril every day. She’s tried other nasal sprays, including ones available by prescription only. But she has found this nonprescription product to be the most effective.
The 24-hour nasal allergy spray treats symptoms such as congestion, sneezing, and a runny or itchy nose.
3. Navage Nose Cleaner
Comenthia is a big fan of this all-natural saline nasal irrigation product. It’s a nose cleaner that uses suction power and saltwater to flush out allergens, mucus, dust, and germs.
“You can see the difference it makes,” Comenthia says. “It’s absolutely superb.”
4. Albuterol rescue inhaler
Comenthia’s doctors recommend she keep a prescription albuterol inhaler on hand in case of asthma flare-ups.
5. Elderberry and turmeric supplements
She also uses supplements to boost her immune system — particularly elderberry and turmeric.
Elderberry is a plant historically used to help activate the immune system. Comenthia takes it in dietary supplement gummies. She takes turmeric daily for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
6. Black seed
Another natural remedy she uses is black seed. It is extracted from the seeds of the nigella sativa plant, which is also called nigella, black cumin, fennel flower, or roman coriander.
Studies suggest black seed may help asthma symptoms, but it’s not clear which preparation is best. Comenthia takes this in liquid or capsule form as needed to ease her asthma symptoms.
7. Apple cider vinegar
Comenthia drinks a cup of water mixed with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar when her acid reflux symptoms trouble her. “It calms my digestive system and allows me to have an uninterrupted, peaceful sleep at night.”
Since she has a variety of conditions, she stocks her medicine cabinet with items to treat more than just allergies. But, like others with multiple conditions, she finds that what works for her is a mix of what her doctor prescribes and what she finds over the counter.
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