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Antihistamines and Allergy Management

More than 15 million men and women in the UK suffer from some form of allergy. The most common form is allergic rhinitis, a variety of symptoms mostly affecting the nose and eyes, which is triggered by the inhalation of an allergenic substance. The most common types of allergic rhinitis are brought on by plant pollen (hay fever), animal dander and house dust mites.

Essentially, an allergic reaction is the body’s reponse to allergen exposure. Allergens are made up of proteins and foreign substances which the immune system detects triggering an immune reaction. During this process, a particular kind of chemical, histamine, is released at the site of inflammation. With airbourne allergens such as pollen and animal dander, it is typically the eyes, nose and throat which are affected. Typical symptoms of allergic rhinitis include tearing eyes, sore throat and a runny and blocked nose.

Allergy Treatments

Thankfully, severe allergic reactions are very rare, however even if symptoms are mild, they can cause a great deal of inconvenience and disrupt your daily routine. During times of allergic reaction (for hay fever sufferers this is seasonal whereas for pet or dust mite allergy sufferers it can be all year round), it is important to manage symptoms of allergy as well as you can. In addition to practical measures you can take yourself to minimise the risk of allergen exposure, powerful medicines are a good choice to alleviate allergy symptoms. Antihistamines work by preventing the neurotransmitter histamine, which is released in response to allergen exposure, from docking onto histamine receptors and inhibiting allergy symptoms.

Antihistamines are available in oral tablet form, nasal sprays and eye drops. Below you will find an overview over a variety of prescription only antihistamine medicines for the treatment of allergic rhinitis:

1. Oral Antihistamines

Telfast 120mg tablets contain the active ingredient fexofenadine hydrochloride 120mg. To treat hay fever, it is usually advised to take one tablet once a day during the hay fever season. Telfast tablets are available in different strengths, your doctor should advise you on how and when to take the medicine depending on which type of allergy you suffer from.

2. Nasal Sprays

Antihistamines in form of nasal sprays provide effective relief from allergy symptoms. Rhinolast contains the active ingredient azelastine hydrochloride. It is recommended that you note the opening date of the bottle as it should be discarded 6 months after opening it.

Avamys is another type of nasal spray which does not contain an antihistamine, but a corticosteroid (fluticasone furoate).

3. Eye Drops

If your allergy causes your eyes to water, antihistamine eye drops may be the right choice of treatment for you. Opticrom aqueous (sodium cromoglicate), Rapitil (nedocromil sodium) and Optilast (azelastine hydrochloride) are three prescription only eye drops now available through the Myonlinedoctor private prescription service. Please read the patient leaflet carefully prior to using any of these medicines and let your doctor know if you experience any unusual side effects not listed in the patient leaflet.

Allergy Treatments