Behöver jag antihistaminer för allergier?

Different medications can treat allergies, including steroids, but first and foremost, an antihistamine is being tested.

How antihistamines treat allergies

When your body comes in contact with a trigger - pollen, ragweed, pet dander, or dust mites, for example - eventually chemicals called histamines appear in the blood. They cause the tissue in your nose to swell (make it clogged), your nose and eyes begin to drain. Sometimes you can get an itchy rash on the skin, called urticaria.

Antihistamines reduce or block histamines, so they stop allergy symptoms.

These drugs work well to relieve symptoms of various types of allergies, including season (hay fever) and symptoms of food allergies. But they cannot alleviate all symptoms.

Some drugs combine an antihistamine and decongestant.

What types of antihistamines are available?

They come in various forms, including tablets, capsules, liquids, nasal sprays and eye drops. Some are only available on prescription. Others you can buy at your local pharmacy.

Prescription antihistamines include:

• Azelastin Eye Drops (Optivar)
• Azelastine Nasal Sprayer (Astelin, Astepro)
• Carbinoxamine (Palgic)
• cyproheptadine
• Desloratadine (Clarinex)
• Emedastine Drops (Emadine)
• Hydroxizin (Atarax, Vistaril)
• Levokabastinfall (Livostin)
• Levokabastin oral (Xyzal)
• OTC antihistamines include:
• Brompheniramine (Dimetane)
• Cetirizine (Zyrtec)
• Chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimetone)
• Klemastin (Tavist)
• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
• Fexofenadine (Allegra)
• Loratadine (Alavert, Claritin)

Eye drops treat symptoms of eye allergies, including itchy, watery eyes.

Side effects of antihistamines

Elderly people tend to have more side effects, especially drowsiness.

Newer antihistamines have fewer side effects, so they may be a better choice for some people.

Some of the most important side effects of antihistamines are:

• dry mouth
• drowsiness
• dizziness
• nausea and vomiting
• restlessness (in some children)
• problem with being able to pee
• blurred vision

If you take an antihistamine that causes sleepiness, do it before bedtime. Do not take it during the day before driving.

Read the label before taking an anti-allergic drug. Antihistamines may interact with other medicines you take.

Talk to your doctor first if you have an enlarged prostate, heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid problems, kidney or liver disease, bladder obstruction or glaucoma. Also check with your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.