Antihistamine therapy is your first line of defense against allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever. Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common medical conditions in the United States, according to Capital Allergy and Respiratory Disease Center. Hay fever causes discomfort and decreases the quality of life for 65 million Americans, or about one out of every seven households. Antihistamine therapy reduces the discomfort of allergies.
Routes
Doctors recommend two routes for antihistamine delivery. Nasal administration is better for a person suffering from nasal congestion. Nasal administration relieves symptoms faster than oral antihistamines. Oral medication is better for small children, kids at risk for developing asthma and people suffering from itchy, red or watery eyes. Oral and nasal antihistamines are safe, well-tolerated and are approved for use in the United States.
Focus
Antihistamine therapy focuses on relieving allergic rhinitis symptoms that pose significant challenges to your quality of life. Therapy helps a patient sleep at night so she feels well-rested, increasing her productivity and reducing the chances she will take a sick day. Relieving rhinitis symptoms improves motor skills, decision making and social interactions. Children are less likely to be hyperactive and will perform better in school when they are well-rested and not suffering allergy symptoms.
Physiology
When an irritant like ragweed or cat dander enters your body through the mucus membranes of your respiratory system, white blood cells react by producing an antibody that attaches to mast cells throughout your body. The mast cells, now sensitized to the allergen, are vigilant against invasion by that allergen. Your nose, lungs, skin and gastrointestinal tract contain a large number of these mast cells. When your body comes in contact with allergen again, the mast cells bind with the allergen, become excited and start to degranulate, or come apart. The degranulated cells release a surge of substances, including histamines, which course through your body, looking for receptor cells to dock on. The histamines trigger reactions localized to the receptor cells, like a runny nose or watery eyes. Antihistamine therapy works by blocking the receptor cells, preventing the histamines from docking onto those receptor cells.
Delivery
According to Beltina Encyclopedia of Health, antihistamine therapy is most effective when administered early in the early stages of an allergic reaction. The longer the reaction has been taking place, the less effective therapy will be. Nasal therapy is recommended as a first line of treatment for mild allergies. Corticosteroids are effective for most types of allergies. Epinephrine is reserved for the most severe and life-threatening allergic reactions, known as an anaphylactic reactions. Epinephrine is a potent neurotransmitter and hormone but imparts significant cardiovascular and pulmonary complications.
