Antihistamines: How They Work and Common Uses | Information

Antihistamines are a class of medications that help alleviate allergy symptoms by blocking the action of histamine in the body. They can provide relief from symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and nasal congestion.
Category
Drug
Where to get
Available over the counter at pharmacies
Prepared by Shruti Sahoo, reviewed by Dr. Eugene Smith

Antihistamines FAQ


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What does antihistamine mean?

An antihistamine is a prescription or over-the-counter medication that blocks some of what histamine does. “Anti” means against, so antihistamines are medicines that work against or block histamine. How are antihistamines classified? Antihistamines are divided into two major subtypes.

What are antihistamines used for?

Antihistamines are medicines that you can take to treat allergies. Allergies and allergic reactions are common. About 1 in 3 Australians have allergies at some point in their lives. Antihistamines work by blocking the effects of a substance called histamine in your body.

How do Antihistamines work?

They work on histamine receptor in the brain and spinal cord along with other types of receptors. Most notable about this generation of antihistamines is that they cross the blood-brain barrier, which results in drowsiness. Second-generation antihistamines were approved by the FDA and first came to market in the 1980s.

What are antihistamines & how do they work?

StatPearls [Internet]. Khashayar Farzam; Sarah Sabir; Maria C. O'Rourke. Last Update: July 10, 2023. Antihistamines are a pharmaceutical class of drugs that act to treat histamine-mediated conditions. There are two main classes of histamine receptors: H-1 receptors and H-2 receptors.

Antihistamines References

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