How much are you spending on your seasonal allergies?
You stayed on budget on your spring break trip. No home improvement projects. No shopping sprees. Where did your money disappear to this spring? Environmental allergies are more than a nuisance; they’re costly. Below are five allergy-related costs you may have contributed to this spring.
Over the counter (OTC) products
After a few days of sniffling and sneezing, most people jump to over-the-counter relief. Walking into your local pharmacy can provide an aisle full of allergy relief options, and throwing them into your cart can ramp up the receipt.
Some common OTC allergy products are:
- Antihistamines
- Decongestants
- Eye drops
- Nasal sprays
- Throat lozenges
- Sinus rinses
Unfortunately, these options don’t treat the cause of the disease, so you’ll need them whenever allergy symptoms arise. For some, that’s days or weeks at a time throughout the year.
Copays
When the symptoms become unbearable, many patients venture to see their provider. Additionally, the months of congestion and sensitivity can lead to infection, whether it’s sinus, ear, or respiratory. Copays, appointment or testing costs add to the seasonal allergy equation.
For those who decide to undergo allergy shot treatment, appointments are typically weekly or biweekly. Not only do they take up a weekly timeslot in your life, the copays pile up, too.
Prescriptions
With infections, exacerbated asthma symptoms, and other allergy complications, the need for prescription medication may also come into play.
Common prescription medications are:
- Inhalers
- Antibiotics
- Steroids
- Topical creams
Depending on your insurance coverage, these can be expensive ammunition in your fight against allergies.
Missed work
Many healthcare facilities are only open during traditional business hours, which can coincide with work schedules. People either burn through their PTO or lose wages due to allergy related appointments, and it adds up quickly.
When allergies become too encompassing, sick days happen. Absenteeism, the idea of allergy actually causing an absence in the workplace, is another costly consequence of allergy.
You could be costing your employer money too. Though missing work is the worse outcome, coming to work and performing your job with low productivity is also ineffective. This trend, called presenteeism, is a common side effect of allergy in the workplace.
Household products
Finally, all of the products you use to keep your home an allergy safe zone are money straight out of your pocket. Think products like:
- Air purifiers
- Tissues
- Cleaning products
- Mattress and pillow covers
- Air conditioning costs
Our allergy cost calculator can help you determine the specific price you pay to keep your seasonal allergy symptoms at bay.
If you’re tired of the never-ending allergy receipt year after year, consider sublingual immunotherapy, or allergy drops, as a treatment that gets to the cause of allergy. Because it’s a disease altering treatment, symptoms decrease, and for many patients, are eliminated, over time. It requires fewer office visits, and studies have shown that the need for related medications is reduced or eliminated over time.
Allergy drops are an affordable treatment with years of clinical use and research proving its safety and effectiveness. You can find frequently asked questions here.