Using an allergy remedy improves symptoms such as itching, sneezing, bloating, eye irritation or coughing, which are associated with allergic reactions to certain substances such as mites, pollen or food, for example.
These medications can be found in tablets, drops, spray, syrups or drops, and should only be used if recommended by the doctor, since the allergy can be triggered by numerous factors that must be diagnosed and prevented. In addition, there is a wide variety of medicines adapted to each case and some of them require a prescription to be purchased at the pharmacy.
If more severe symptoms such as swelling of the mouth and tongue make it difficult to breathe, call an ambulance or take the person to the hospital immediately. Here's how to differentiate less severe symptoms from anaphylactic shock.
Major Types of Allergy Remedies
The main types of remedies that can be used in allergy cases are:
1. Antihistamines
Antihistamines are the most commonly used medications to treat allergic symptoms such as allergy to the nose or skin, allergic rhinitis or urticaria, and can be used through various formulations such as tablets and syrups, such as loratadine, desloratadine, cetirizine, hydroxyzine or fexofenadine, for example, which act at a systemic level. These remedies prevent the action of histamine, a substance involved in the body's allergic response.
In addition, this class of medications is also available in eye drops, to treat allergies in the eyes such as azelastine or ketotifen, for example, or in spray or nasal drops that act directly on the nose and may contain dimethindene maleate or azelastine, for example, and which may be used alone or in combination with an oral antihistamine.
There are also creams and ointments with antihistamines in the composition, which may contain promethazine or dimethindene in the composition, for example, which may be used in skin affections and associated with other oral antihistamines.
2. Decongestants
Decongestants are widely used as an adjunct to antihistamines for nasal congestion and secretion symptoms because they swell inflamed tissues, relieving nasal congestion, redness, and mucus. The most commonly used drugs are pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine or oxymetazoline, for example.
3. Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids work by reducing the inflammation associated with allergies, but are usually used in more severe cases. These medicines are also available in tablets, syrups, oral drops, creams, ointments, eye drops, nasal solutions or inhalation devices and should be used very carefully because they have many side effects.
Examples of systemic corticosteroids used in allergic conditions are prednisolone, betamethasone or deflazacort, for example. Beclomethasone, mometasone, budesonide and fluticasone are generally used as nasal spray or by oral inhalation devices and dexamethasone or fluocinolone are present in many eye drops used in inflammation, irritation and eye redness.
The most commonly used ointments and creams are usually hydrocortisone or betamethasone in their composition and are widely used in skin allergies and should be applied thinly for as short a time as possible.
4. Bronchodilators
In some cases it may be necessary to use bronchodilators, such as salbutamol, budesonide or ipratropium bromide, for example, that facilitate the entry of air into the lungs and are indicated for the treatment of respiratory allergy as is the case of asthma.
These remedies are found in the form of spray or powder for inhalation but can only be purchased with a prescription.
Other allergy remedies are mast cell stabilizing drugs, such as cromolyn sodium, that prevent these cells from releasing histamine, causing allergic reactions.
Leukotriene antagonists, such as Zafirlukast, are also indicated to treat allergies.
Food Allergy Remedy
The food allergy remedy aims to improve symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, irritation and swelling of the mouth, eyes or tongue. The choice of remedy depends on whether the allergic reaction is mild, moderate or severe, as there is a risk of anaphylactic shock, a serious condition that can in some cases lead to death. Understand how food allergy treatment is done.
