You can find effective allergy medications in every pharmacy. Allergy sufferers can choose from nasal sprays, eye drops, ointments and tablets. Many of them are available only with a prescription, but the most important ones can also be purchased without a prescription. Before you choose one, you need to know that they differ in composition and action.

Effective allergy medicationscan be divided into several groups. The most numerous group of antiallergic drugs are antihistamines. The mechanism of their action is based on inhibiting the activity of histamine, which appears in the body as a result of an allergic reaction and is responsible for swelling, redness, bronchospasm, and skin changes.

Inhibiting it reduces allergy symptoms. Antihistamines are at least a dozen active substances; they were divided into the so-called generations. The differences between them are the precision, speed and duration of action as well as the intensity of side effects.

Drugs that suppress an allergic reaction

Antihistamines vary in potency and risk of side effects. The oldest are:

  • clemastine
  • diphenhydramine
  • triprolidine
  • hydroxyzine
  • promethazine

In addition to fighting allergy symptoms, they also have side effects - drowsiness, dizziness and dry mouth. This makes them available only with a prescription, and they are used primarily in the fight against sudden allergic reactions, e.g. urticaria with severe itching, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and even as an aid in anaphylactic shock (in the form of an injection). After taking them, you should not drive a vehicle as they may affect your ability to concentrate. These side effects of first-generation drugs led the search to find compounds that are not burdened with so many side effects. The result was a second generation of antihistamines. Today, many of them are available over the counter, the most popular being:

  • cetirizine
  • loratadyna
  • fexofenadine

The lack of sleep-inducing effects and impair the ability to drive means that allergy sufferers can also use drugs prophylactically during the pollen season of certain plants.

Third-generation allergy medications

For the third generation of antihistaminesinclude:

  • bilastine
  • levocetirizine
  • desloratadine

They are characterized by a negligible number of interactions with other drugs and food ingredients. People suffering from e.g. diabetes or hypertension should, however, pay special attention to antiallergic preparations that are a combination of several active substances, because pseudoephedrine is a very common ingredient, the effect of which on blood pressure and blood glucose levels is difficult to predict, and therefore dangerous. The situation is similar with phenylephrine, which can be used interchangeably with pseudoephedrine as an ingredient to fight a runny nose and to decongest the nose. These patients, in the case of allergies, should therefore use the so-called single drugs (with one active ingredient).

Topical antiallergic drugs

They are used - usually as an adjunct to oral treatment - for itching or rash, as well as for allergic reactions in the nose and eyes. Skin sensitization symptoms can be alleviated with over-the-counter medications, including:

  • hydrocortisone (or another steroid depending on the doctor's decision)
  • dimetyndene or
  • chlorocresol

Redness, swelling and watery eyes (symmetrical) most often accompany people allergic to grass pollen. In addition to the antiallergic drugs mentioned above, their salvation is also provided by appropriate eye drops containing:

  • azelastine
  • olopatadine
  • tetryzoline
  • cromoglycan (the most popular in this type of preparations and indicated in acute and chronic allergic conjunctivitis caused by hay fever, in allergic keratoconjunctivitis). Cromoglycan also comes in the form of a nasal spray, which can be used preventively and in the treatment of year-round and seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Sympathomimetic drugs have similar uses. It is a group of substances that constrict the blood vessels of the nasal mucosa, thereby reducing swelling and congestion, and inhibiting the formation of watery exudate, clearing the nose and facilitating breathing. The most commonly used drugs from this group are:

  • xylometazoline
  • oxymetazoline
  • naphazoline

It should be emphasized, however, that they are intended only for the short-term treatment of allergic rhinitis (up to 4 days) due to the risk of chronic rhinitis. As a result, with prolonged use of this type of drugs, a specific addiction occurs - the nasal mucosa remains swollen despite the lack of an allergenic factor,and the only way to open the nose is to constantly use the drug.

Worth knowing

A decoction of firefly herb can be used for compresses or for washing eyes in inflammatory conditions of the conjunctiva and the edges of the eyelids, because it has anti-inflammatory, antiallergic (inhibits the release of histamine) and astringent.

Is it worth swallowing lime?

Lime is believed to have antiallergic properties. Unfortunately, this is not quite the case. More and more studies show that it has virtually no effect on the course of an allergic reaction. However, the situation is different in the case of calcium preparations enriched with quercitin and zinc. It is recommended to use them as a support in the therapy with antihistamine antiallergic drugs. Quercitin is a plant-derived substance with a blood vessel-sealing effect. By reducing their brittleness and permeability, it favors the anti-oedematous effect. It limits the occurrence of allergic reactions. Zinc, in turn, stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies.

The article comes from the monthly "Zdrowie"

Category:

Allergies