Antihistamines
True to their name, antihistamines are a type of medication that block the
effects of histamine in your body. Histamine is a substance released by cells
in your body's tissues as a protective mechanism against foreign substances in
the air or the environment. If you have nasal allergies, coming into contact
with pollen, dust, or any of your allergy triggers may cause your body to
release histamine. Histamine provokes certain nasal allergy symptoms, such as
nasal congestion, sneezing, and runny nose.
Because antihistamines block the action of histamine, they are effective in
reducing some nasal allergy symptoms, and they provide fairly rapid relief.
However, they generally aren't as effective as medications like nasal steroids
for relieving nasal congestion.
Antihistamines can be either sedating or nonsedating in nature. That means they
either make you feel sleepy or they don't. Many of the nonprescription
antihistamines sold over the counter can produce the side effect of drowsiness.
Not only can this drowsy feeling interfere with your lifestyle, but it can also
be unsafe if you drive or operate machinery. Sometimes the drowsiness is so
subtle, you don't even realize you're having that effect. However, your
thinking and reaction times can still be affected.
Fortunately, the newer antihistamines, most of which are available only by
prescription, do not have this side effect. However, these medications are not
always as effective in relieving nasal congestion.
Intranasal Antihistamines
You can find antihistamines in both prescription and over-the-counter forms, as
pills and as nasal sprays. They are sometimes combined with decongestants.
Plus, your doctor may sometimes prescribe them in combination with a nasal
steroid.
If you're not getting satisfactory improvement with your current allergy
treatment, talk with your doctor about which allergy medications could benefit
you.
Be sure to check out the other pages on this Web site that might be useful for
your particular allergy situation.
