Antihistamines are medications that block the effects of histamine within the body. Histamine is a powerful substance found in the blood that mediates many of the processes seen in allergic and inflammatory conditions. These medications are therefore very useful for allergic reactions, inflammation and asthma.
One of the major disadvantages of using antihistamines is that many have a sedating effect. This is especially true for the first generation antihistamines. They should therefore not be used when doing certain activities like driving or handling heavy machinery. This means that one may have to limit there use to the evening and night or take time off from work. There are however some non-sedating antihistamines available that may solve this problem.

Some antihistamines also have what are called anti-muscarinic and anti-cholinergic side effects. These are reactions that affect certain areas of the body which have muscarinic and cholinergic receptors for example the eyes, lungs and bladder. As a result some antihistamines should be avoided by those with narrow-angle glaucoma, certain chronic lung diseases and bladder outlet obstruction. Again there are newer antihistamines that have reduced side effects.
These newer drugs are called second generation antihistamines. The major problem with these newer medications is their cost. As a result although older drugs have more side effects and are often sedating, many patients often revert to them because of the cost. For a good overview of the monthly cost of many antihistamines check out this Link - http://www.crbestbuydrugs.org/ PDFs/costupdates/Antihistamine s-CostUpdate-June06 Final.pdf".
Antihistamines are useful for mild and intermittent symptoms. They may however, be less effective when there is congestion. Other uses include counteracting motion sickness, increasing appetite when ill and taking advantage of its sedating properties for example before surgery.

Yours in Health

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